Late lawyer cops a blast Magistrate lets rip at tardy solicitors
Mr Bambery was not in court when Magistrate Coates made the remarks.
Magistrate Coates suggested to Mr Hill that perhaps Mr Bamberry, of Bamberry Lawyers in Southport, thought that prosecutors were “on the public nipple” and they “could wait all day for him to come in and see his client”, accused identity fraudster Peter Anthony Short.
“While you are on the public purse and we are burning the dollars both ways, we will marvel at whether the solicitor from Woop Woop will decide to roar in in their BMW and see their client,” Magistrate Coates said.
Magistrate Coates told Mr Hill that she would “feel rage if I was” a prosecutor who had been shown “the height of professional rudeness” by a defence lawyer.
“I hope you stood up for yourself Mr Hill,” Magistrate Coates said.
Mr Bamberry was representing Mr Short, who has been charged with 61 charges, some related to him assuming the identities of dead men in order to smuggle cash overseas.
Mr Bamberry later apologised to the court and to Mr Hill, after Magistrate Coates told him he had “held up the whole day”. The case was adjourned until June 12.