The daughter of an Outrageous Fortune star has changed her plea after earlier admitting stealing nearly $25,000 from her former employers.
Alix Ashby - whose father Kirk Torrance played ex-cop Wayne Judd in the hit kiwi drama - pleaded guilty in September to a charge of using a computer system for a dishonest purpose, from when she was working as a talent booker between May 2011 and July 2012.
But at Auckland District Court this afternoon she sacked her defence counsel Richard Keam and said her new lawyer Gary Gotlieb would attempt to vacate the guilty plea.
Mr Keam, who was expected to argue for an discharge without conviction for his client, said he only received the news "moments ago" and Judge David Harvey said Ashby faced an uphill battle to change her stance.
"There would have to be demonstration of a defence," the judge said.