Man who tried to snatch 3-year-old girl in Whitby not guilty by way of insanity

The 32-year-old was arrested in March after a father told police a man lunged at him and tried to snatch his 3-year-old daughter in the Porirua suburb of Whitby.

A man accused of trying to snatch a 3-year-old girl off the street in Whitby has been declared not guilty by way of insanity.

The man, who has name suppression, appeared in the Porirua District Court this afternoon on two counts of assault and one count of kidnapping.

The 32-year-old was arrested in March after a father told police a man lunged at him and tried to snatch his 3-year-old daughter as the pair were walking on Exploration Way, in the Porirua suburb of Whitby.

The man was staying in a mental health facility on the street, run by Pathways.

In court today Judge James Johnston said he had read reports from two doctors and was satisfied the man was insane at the time of the offending.

He found him not guilty of all three charges on that basis.

The judge said an assessment of the evidence was sufficient to show the man "had caused the events" on that day.

Many locals have demanded the respite care unit be moved away from the nearby school.

The girl's father said on the day of the attack he was walking his daughter home from kindergarten when the man began following them. The man tried to lead the daughter away and became aggressive when the father intervened.

A neighbour had to run out and grab the child while the father tried to fend off the attacker.

The man has been remanded to August 3 for a decision to be made on what to do with him.

He is currently on bail.