The former Hokitika man who sparked a manhunt in South Westland on Friday, refused to accept advice from any of the lawyers on hand in the Greymouth District Court yesterday.
John Borrie Alexander, 49, had been on the run since March, when he failed to appear in court on drugs charges. Police knew that he had been living in the Lake Hawea area and on Friday he led Wanaka police on a 192km high-speed chase to Lake Paringa, where he abandoned his vehicle and ran into the bush.
He was located by a police dog, which accompanied the West Coast armed offenders squad in its search for him.
Alexander's initial charges were cultivating cannabis and possessing the drug for supply but he now faces new charges of driving dangerously, possessing cannabis, possessing cannabis oil, unlawfully possessing a claw hammer as an offensive weapon, unlawfully possessing .22 bullets and breaching bail.
Christchurch lawyer John O'Connell spoke to Alexander in the cells but the defendant shouted "you do not represent me", as soon as he began to address the judge. Alexander then refused to accept legal advice from the three local "muppets".
