Hospital fire accused stays in custody

A man who allegedly started a fire in a Nelson Hospital psychiatric unit will remain in custody.

On Sunday around 8.45pm, black plumes of smoke filled the skies above the hospital when a fire was set in a courtyard outside the intensive psychiatric care unit.

There was no damage, and noone was injured in the incident, which was attended by three fire crews.

Yesterday morning, the man, who has name suppression, refused to leave police cells to appear via video link for a court hearing. He was charged with wilfully setting fire to a property.

Judge Tony Zohrab said he understood that the man was alleged to have set fire to property at Nelson Hospital’s secure mental health unit.

‘‘As a consequence, the Nelson Hospital went into lockdown as flames sent out large amounts of smoke, and required numerous amounts of services to attend.’’

Defence lawyer Tim Spear raised the possibility of releasing his client on bail to family in Tasman.

However, the judge said that given the circumstances of the offending, and that the man was under mental health assessment and ‘‘irritable and agitated’’, this was not an option.

‘‘He will have to be remanded in custody,’’ Zohrab said. ‘‘Ordinarily, you’d keep him in hospital, but given the nature of what’s alleged to have happened, it would be too traumatic for other patients if he were to remain in hospital.’’

Ahead of the man’s next court appearance on December 6, Zohrab ordered assessments into his mental health and suitability to stand trial. The man’s next court appearance will be on December 6.