Lawyer says Jobs was too weak for council hearing

Steve Jobs is currently on six months' leave of absence from Apple

A lawyer representing Steve Jobs in a housing dispute has said that the head of Apple did not attend a hearing because he was too weak.

The meeting at Woodside Town Council to decide whether Jobs can demolish his 14-bedroom mansion to build a new home, was not attended by Jobs. His lawyer explained that he might not be strong enough to make it to the end of an extended hearing.

"I don't think he would be strong enough if we were here until 1am, and I think there's a strong possibility of that," Howard Ellman told the council, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The comments will reignite concerns about Jobs, who is currently on six months' leave of absence from Apple to deal with outstanding health issues. Jobs denied that he had suffered a relapse of cancer shortly before taking leave.

It is possible that Jobs's health was used as a ploy to get out of the meeting, but this would be risky. Apple's share price has suffered fluctuations at the possibility of not having Jobs at the helm.

The council meeting was held to discuss the fate of a 17,000 square foot house, built in 1925 and owned by Jobs.

Jobs has not lived there in years, and says that the mansion will cost $13m (£8.7m) to renovate, $5m (£3.3m) more than a new house would cost to build. Local residents disagree, and are seeking to block the demolition.