New Zealand rapper Scribe has handed himself in and appeared in court today to deny drug and weapon charges.
The chart-topping hip-hop artist, whose real name is Malo Ioane Luafutu, had a warrant for his arrest issued on Wednesday when he failed to show up in court for a fourth time.
He wore a grey sweatshirt and had his hair in a man-bun when he stood in the dock at Christchurch District Court this morning.
Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger said he wished to enter pleas of not guilty to six charges today.
Father-of-four Luafutu faces three charges relating to April 2 this year.
Police allege he was found with an offensive weapon, namely a bat, on Ollivers Rd in the Phillipstown area of Christchurch.
It's also alleged he was found in possession of a Class A controlled drug amphetamine and a pipe.
He also faces three charges of failing answer bail.
Luafutu was remanded on bail to a case review hearing on November 14 with bail conditions to report to a police station twice a week.
Canterbury police made a Facebook appeal last month for the public's help locating Luafutu.
He contacted police later that afternoon and agreed to appear at Porirua District Court where he was bailed to appear in Christchurch.
An earlier appearance was adjourned until Wednesday at Christchurch District Court but he failed to show.
A warrant was issued for his arrest - for a second time.
Bulger said on Wednesday that she had received a text from Luafutu, saying he'd missed his flight from Wellington and couldn't get another one to Christchurch to make court on time.
She asked that if police sought a warrant for his arrest - which they did - that Judge Tony
Couch allow it to lie in court until 10am today to let Luafutu make it to court.
Judge Couch issued the warrant to arrest on Wednesday but was "not inclined to give this defendant any more leniency".
"This would be the fourth occasion in which he has failed to appear so I am going to issue a warrant," the judge said.
The rapper's star began to rise when he released his debut album The Crusader - a nod to the Canterbury rugby team - in 2003.
Luafutu is the cousin of musicians Ladi6, real name Karolyn Tamati, and Tyra Hammond from the band Opensouls.