A DEFENDANT forged a medical certificate to make it appear he was unwell and could not go to court.

John Barber, 30, had been due to appear before Southampton magistrates for possessing cannabis and a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to turn up on two occasions.

The following month Barber attended his doctor's surgery where he got a note covering his first absence. However, when the note was handed in at court, the clerk realised it had been forged to include the second date, said prosecutor Richard Willcox.

Barber, of Rudd Way, Southampton, pleaded guilty at the city crown court to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He told police he had forgotten to ask for a note covering the second occasion. He only realised his error when he got to court and couldn't be bothered to go back to the surgery.

Kate Freemantle, defending, said: "He accepts he was stupid and didn't realise the seriousness of what he did. It was a very amateurish attempt to stop himself getting into trouble but he only made it worse."

Ordering him to do 100 hours community work, Judge Anna Guggenheim QC told Barber: "It was dishonest, irresponsible and completely unacceptable."