Hibs star fails to turn up for court hearing

SCOTLAND international Garry O’Connor failed to turn up to court today to answer alleged insurance fraud charges over a crash involving his £100,000 Ferrari.

The Hibs striker had been ordered to appear in person at Haddington Sheriff Court, but the case against him was continued for three weeks after O’Connor’s lawyers asked for a continuation.

O’Connor, 28, is alleged to have told an Aviva Insurance rep that he was driving his prized F430 Spider F1 in Gullane, East Lothian, on April 30, when the extensive damage to the car occurred.

But, the Hibernian striker has been accused of trying to swindle £93,500 from the insurance company after it was alleged a friend of his, Darren Brock, caused the damage following a collision with a railway bridge two weeks earlier.

The wrecked red supercar, which has since been written off, was discovered abandoned following an early morning smash near Tranent, East Lothian on April 14.

The forward, who has been capped 16 times for Scotland, did not appear at Haddington Sheriff Court today but depute fiscal Alison Innes said she had received a fax from the footballer’s lawyers asking for the case to be continued until December 14.

O’Connor, who lives in a £1m home in the exclusive Archerfield estate, near Dirleton, East Lothian, has still not entered a plea and has again been ordered to appear in person before Sheriff Peter Braid.