Former football "super-agent" Willie McKay has been warned a warrant will be issued if he does not attend court to face charges he splashed out on a £54,000 car and a £9,000 watch while bankrupt.
McKay, 60, of Craighead Road, Glasgow, was scheduled to appear before the bench at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday on fraud charges.
But his solicitor Michael Levy told the court the defendant would not be attending.
Levy told magistrates: "The press are outside today. Mr McKay is not in good health. If he had been ambushed outside this court today it could have severely affected his mental wellbeing."
McKay, who has represented a number of high-profile footballers and was involved in the Emilano Sala deal, faces two charges under the Insolvency Act; that as a bankrupt he made a gift of property by spending £9,100 to buy a Rolex Date Just II watch for his wife in Leeds on December 14, 2014.
The second charge states that a day later, he spent £54,000 on a Jaguar XK5 car for his wife at Doncaster.
Levy argued that as his legal representative was in court, under the law the defendant did not have to travel all the way from Glasgow for a brief 10-minute preliminary hearing to face the charges.
However Andrew Evans, prosecuting on behalf of the Insolvency Service, and the court clerk, disagreed.
Evans said the law states a defendant must have a good reason for a magistrate or judge to excuse attendance.
After a brief adjournment, Steven Palmer, chair of the bench, returned to tell the court: "We find no good reason why we should proceed in his absence.
"We are going to adjourn to allow him to attend. We expect him to attend."
Palmer said the court would issue an "attend or warrant" letter, adding: "If he does not attend we may arrange transport for him."
The next hearing will be held on September 5.
