A warrant was issued for a 41-year-old man who pleaded guilty to an 2019 axe attack when he failed to appear in the Supreme Court in Launceston on Tuesday.
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Bradley John Holton-Crane pleaded guilty on Monday to a count of committing an unlawful act intended to cause grievous bodily harm on March 4, 2019.
He was bailed to reappear for sentence on Tuesday.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Avery travelled from Hobart for a sentencing hearing.
Defence counsel Lucy Flanagan told Justice Gregory Geason that she tried to contact Holton-Crane but had been unsuccessful.
Ms Avery applied for a warrant for his arrest which was granted by Justice Geason. The court was adjourned for the day.
The Supreme Court indictment alleged Holton-Crane intended to maim and disfigure Corey Barnett when he struck him to the head, neck and arms with an axe.
Holton-Crane's non-appearance comes at a time when the Supreme Court has a huge backlog of cases.
Department of Justice figures show that on April 24, the Supreme Court had a backlog of 648 cases made up of 181 cases in Launceston, 168 cases in Burnie and 299 cases in Hobart.
It compares with the record number of 692 cases recorded in the Director of Public Prosecutions' annual report for 2020-2021.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
