A convicted killer sacked his lawyer in court this week.
A convicted killer sacked his high-profile silk in court, telling the judge he’d be representing himself because he thought his case had been neglected.
Jon Tippett QC hadn’t informed Janez Kostanjevec, who has been under protection in prison, of his sentencing date until that morning, the NT News reported.
“Nobody has come to see me to take instructions,” Kostanjevec told Supreme Court Chief Justice Trevor Riley.
“I only found out I had court at 6am ... I haven’t had a chance to get my family here for support or get references.”
He sacked Tippett, who was appointed to his case through NT Legal Aid, to address the court after the judge threw out an attempt to have the case adjourned to obtain an official psychological report. Kostanjevec had not seen a lawyer in more than six weeks, the court heard.
Tippett confirmed Kostanjevec was correct and apologised.
The judge told Tippett he was “extremely disappointed”.
Kostanjevec has admitted to robbing a man at gunpoint before shooting his friend Raymond Dargie, dead.
According to the NT News, Chief Justice Riley has sought a “truncated institutional report” and will next week sentence Kostanjevec for the aggravated robbery.
