No lawyer, no problem

Court tells Ferguson case will go ahead

THE woman at the centre of the Tim Paine sexting scandal says she’s having trouble finding a new lawyer to help her over unrelated stealing charges – and may be forced to represent herself in an upcoming court hearing.

Renee Ferguson, 49, made her latest appearance in the Hobart Magistrates Court by video link on Thursday ahead of a two-day contested hearing next month.

Ms Ferguson – who the court heard also goes by the name of Renee Caroll – intends to fight 62 counts of stealing and two counts of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage, allegedly committed while she worked as a Cricket Tasmania receptionist.

While the charges date back to 2017, the case has been held up for more than five years becaus of a string of adjournments, delays, and Ms Ferguson’s repeated failures to appear in court.

In July last year, high-profile silk Greg Barns SC informed the court he was no longer representing Ms Ferguson in her court battle.

On Thursday, Ms Ferguson – who relocated interstate several years ago – said she was having trouble finding a solicitor to instruct a potential barrister to represent her.

“For fiscal reasons and the high-profile nature of it, I don’t think anyone is particularly keen,” she told Chief Magistrate Catherine Geason.

Ms Ferguson she said wasn’t sure “if there’s time” to organise legal representation before February 16.

But Ms Geason said the hearing needed to go ahead – even if that meant Ms Ferguson represented herself.

“Obviously this has been listed on a number of occasions previously,” she said.

“It’s in everybody’s interest, including yours, that this matter is dealt with. You may or may not be able to be represented – I don’t know. The hearing needs to go ahead unless there’s an exceptionally good reason why it shouldn’t.”

Ms Geason said if Ms Ferguson represented herself without a lawyer, she would have the opportunity to crossexamine witnesses in the hearing and “do what you need to do”. It is alleged Ms Ferguson stole $5600 from Cricket Tasmania, where she worked between 2015 and 2017. It is also alleged she fraudulently obtained a $705 Cricket Tasmania junior and platinum membership, and a $339 Hobart Hurricanes family membership.