Case delay for girl snatcher

A HIGH-profile court case has stalled in the Supreme Court because of a lack of public psychiatric resources.

In January, child snatcher Cecil Maurice Mabb pleaded guilty to attempted abduction and assault in relation to an incident in the North-West.

He was listed for sentence the next week, before the court ordered Mabb be examined by the chief forensic psychiatrist at the expense of the Crown. Mabb had pleaded guilty at his first available opportunity and indicated to the court he wanted to be sentenced as soon as possible.

The court heard Mabb grabbed the five-year-old from her bike. Her parents were setting up camp for a family holiday at a popular campground near Smithton.

The little girl was abducted as Mabb, pictured, threw her into his vehicle but was found within an hour of the alert being raised, on a beach about 1km from where she was taken, dazed and in shock

The court heard Mabb had told prison officials he was a cannibal and had wanted to “eat” the child.

At his last court appearance, Justice Robert Pearce ordered the chief forensic psychiatrist examine Mabb and prepare a report for the court. But in the Supreme Court in Burnie on Tuesday, prosecutor Katie Edwards said no psychiatrist was available to do the evaluation and the court would now need to look at private avenues.

The court was told psychiatrists worked under contract to the state government and that was about to expire.

“The Crown maintains its position that due to the risk factors involved in this case it is important we get a psychiatric report,” Ms Edwards told Justice Pearce.

“I will try to obtain a private psychiatrist to do that report and ask I be given a week to do so.”

Mabb’s lawyer said the matter had become very protracted and a time frame on when he might be sentenced needed to be given soon.

The case will return to court on September 16.