KEY POINTS:
A psychiatric patient who has already admitted attempting suicide in a blaze of glory by setting fire to a petrol station forecourt pleaded guilty today to injuring a hospital nurse.
The 35-year-old man, who has interim name suppression, is awaiting sentencing in Christchurch District Court on reduced charges of attempted arson, assaulting a forecourt attendant and assaulting a passing firefighter who tried to put out the blaze.
He was charged originally with recklessly endangering lives by lighting the fire.
It is understood the man left Hillmorton Hospital, where he was a patient, on May 23 last year, the day of the petrol station incident.
The man later told police he was going to set himself ablaze because of the prescription medicine he was taking.
"We've all got to go sometime," he told the police officer. "Might as well go out with a bang."
In court today, the man pleaded guilty through counsel Simon Shamy to injuring a Hillmorton Hospital psychiatric nurse with intent to injure last June 28.
A summary of facts relating to that incident was not read in court today.
Judge Raoul Neave sought a further psychiatric report on the man and remanded him in hospital custody to July 3 for sentencing on all matters.
The judge continued an interim order suppressing the man's name.
- NZPA
