Courtroom arguments over the theft of prized war medals have been delayed after the lawyer of one of the accused failed to turn up at Wanganui District Court.
Judge Michael Radford said he was "singularly unimpressed" by defence counsel Chris Comesky's no-show.
The 96 valour medals were taken on 2 December 2007 from the Army Museum in Waiouru.
Mr Comesky helped broker their return in February.
Last week, Mr Comesky's assistant told the court his boss would be going on holiday the day before the hearing, but on Friday another representative said he could not make it because of illness.
The names of the two men accused of the theft are suppressed, as are the matters being contested in initial court proceedings.
