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Police consider red-zone intruder's mental state
Police are considering whether to continue with a red zone cordon breach charge against a man who was originally charged under the name John Doe because he would not identify himself.
The man has since been identified but he remains confused, and he has been assessed as having mental health difficulties by a clinical psychologist who examined him while he was in custody.
He had been remanded for a psychiatric assessment which was put before Judge Alistair Garland at a Christchurch District Court session inside the men?s prison today.
The 38-year-old northern Christchurch man has been in custody since his arrest in Latimer Square on September 23 ? the equivalent of an eight-week prison term on a charge that carries a maximum jail sentence of three months.
Since he was identified by family and police in the week after his arrest, he has had interim name suppression while the psychiatric assessment goes ahead. Judge Garland continued that order today when he suggested that the prosecution should consider whether it was worth proceeding with the charge.
It was ?not the most serious charge on the criminal calendar? and the health professionals had indicated that the man needed help. His family had concerns about where he might live.
The judge said that if the man was ?cast adrift? by being released he might have difficulty accessing the help he needed.
Duty solicitor Vanessa Sugrue said she wanted the man to have his own defence counsel who could spend some time discussing matters with him. ?I can?t obtain instructions because he?s confused. He is not being difficult. He simply does not know whether he wants to plead guilty or not guilty.?
The judge asked the police to consider whether they wished to go ahead with the case, and prosecutor Ruth Thomas told him: ?I?ll undertake to review the file and consider the best way forward from here.?
