WAGGA DISTRICT COURT
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THE fitness of a man to plead to armed robbery charges is yet to be determined, Wagga District Court has been told.
Semu Tumama is alleged to have bailed up staff at the Ashmont Inn bottle shop on January 26 and February 5 this year.
After rejecting legal representation, Tumama pleaded guilty in Wagga Local Court on June 18 to charges of armed robbery and using an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence.
But during the July sittings of Wagga District Court at which Tumama was listed for sentence, Judge Stephen Norrish refused to accept Tumama's pleas after hearing of the man's delusions.
The court heard that Tumama at one point believed his mother or grandmother was Queen Elizabeth.
Judge Norrish also asked Tumama a number of questions and was told by Tumama he had heard voices in his head.
After speaking with Tumama, Judge Norrish said it seemed to him Tumama had a "delusional presentation".
On Monday, public defender Michael King told Judge Jennifer English, who is presiding over the current District Court sittings, that Tumama was still delusional but had "seen the error of his ways" and was now accepting of legal representation.
Mr King said a psychiatric report on Tumama had been obtained and he was presently unfit for court.
He asked for the case to be adjourned to the next sittings of Wagga District Court starting on October 20.
"There is a fitness issue now," Mr King said.
Judge English granted the adjournment, with no opposition from the Crown.
"Then we can decide what is happening with it," Judge English said.