A month after his arrest for allegedly biting off part of a doctor's ear at a Christchurch medical centre, Samasoni Maka remains in mental health care and is yet to make his first court appearance.
The case has now been called three times in Christchurch District Court but Maka has been too unwell to appear in court and letters have been sent by Canterbury District Health Board confirming his condition.
Maka, a Samoa-born 42-year-old, was remanded today to May 7 by Judge Michael Crosbie after defence counsel Glenn Henderson told him the psychiatric report ordered two weeks ago was still being prepared, the Christchurch Court News website reported.
Maka is accused of disfiguring a doctor at a Waltham medical centre on March 25, when police allege he bit off part of ear before being detained by the public until police arrived.
The doctor has had the ear reattached, and Maka has been in mental health care at Christchurch's Hillmorton psychiatric hospital.
