The lawyer for Leon Johnathon Walker, who faces 36 deception charges, presented the judge in Timaru District Court with a note excusing his appearance. It had poor spelling and a suspicious health board logo.

A man facing deception charges has raised eyebrows in court for presenting a medical note with appalling spelling and a questionable logo.

Defence counsel Jay Lovely presented the note to Judge Joanna Maze to excuse Leon Johnathon Walker from appearing in the Timaru District Court on Thursday.

Walker has been charged with 36 counts of obtaining by deception. His partner Larna Maree Nally has been charged with three of the same offences.

Lovely presented the judge a document explaining that his client was not at court because he was having an ankle operation.

Judge Maze criticised the note's appalling spelling, highlighting that the word "you" had been spelt with just the letter "u".

She was also suspicious of the South Canterbury District Health Board logo on the document: "It's very stylishly done if it's someone making up their own version of the SCDHB logo."

Police said Walker had provided "all sort of excuses" every time there was a court date.

Judge Maze responded that over time, Walker's reasons "only got weaker".

The pair have been charged with buying thousands of dollars of electrical items from shops with cheques they knew would not clear.

According to the police summary of facts, the pair had gone to Northlands Mall in Christchurch between August 12 and August 20 and bought a $1200 barbecue, which was then pawned for $300 at Cash Converters in Papanui.

Over the same period the couple allegedly bought a Karcher vacuum cleaner worth $399 at Mitre 10 in Papanui, which they then pawned at the same Cash Converters for $50. They also bought a Karcher water blaster and Powermax generator in Rangiora, worth a combined $1497. Those items were sold at Cash Converters for $280.

Police said Nally knew Walker did not have the funds cleared in his account to buy the items, however she told officers she "couldn't stop him".

Judge Maze said Nally implied her co-defendant was the principal offender, so she was not prepared to deal with the case without him.

Nally was convicted of the offences and remanded at large until sentencing on May 30.

An arrest warrant was issued for Walker.