KEY POINTS:
A man who admitted shooting at police and kidnapping an elderly Asian couple and their son has been given the chance to change his plea and use insanity as a defence.
Leonard Archer Hall was found not guilty of the attempted murder of two policemen in an Auckland shopping mall carpark on June 5, 2005.
He admitted 14 other charges including the kidnapping and using a weapon against police and was due to be sentenced in the High Court in Auckland today.
However, Justice Graham Lang told Hall that the medication he was on had apparently worked and he should have the chance to apply to the court to change his plea to not guilty if he wanted to mount a defence of temporary insanity.
He said Hall was now fit to plead, instruct a lawyer and receive advice.
He remanded Hall to prison to continue his medication until next month for a further date to be set for a hearing if he changed his plea to not guilty, or for sentencing is he maintained his guilty plea.
In contrast to earlier court appearances when he appeared highly agitated, Hall today was calm and agreed with the judge on the decision to remand him to consider his pleas.
- NZPA
