Rape accused deemed unfit to plea

The court will decide on February 1 where to place a man who has been deemed unfit to plea in a rape case.

The man in question was assessed by consultant psychiatrist Dr Griffin Benjamin on Thursday for the first time since he was charged in 2018.

Dr Benjamin told the court that the man is not mentally stable at this time and suffers from acute psychosis and is therefore not fit to plea.

In his preliminary report, the doctor suggested that the man’s mental state may be linked to substance abuse.

The 26-year-old man, who had to be escorted to court by police hours before his assessment, is known to have mental episodes and even exhibited strange behaviour while in the court room.

In one instance, he refused to respond to his lawyer Peter-Semaj McKnight. He also told High Court Judge Justice Iain Morley that he doesn’t want anyone to help him and that he could be left in prison to rot if that is what the judge wanted.

When the case continues next month, the court will decide whether the man will be sent to Clarevue Hospital to be treated.

In the meantime, the man remains on bail in the care of his lawyer and has been warned to be present for his future court hearings. SOURCE: Daily Observer

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