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A 34-year-old man was given six hours today to tell his family that he had been arrested for an alleged arson incident at a service station in Christchurch before his name is released publicly.
Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen Erber granted interim suppression to the man until 5pm today, after being told that the man's elderly and ill parents lived in Oamaru and had not yet been told of his arrest.
The man appeared in court dressed in a police smock, and was remanded in custody for a week. Duty solicitor Shaun O'Neill said bail was not sought.
He told Judge Erber that another judge had issued an in-patient order for the man yesterday, and his address is now given as Hillmorton Hospital.
The man was charged after an off duty firefighter put out a fire that had been started on the forecourt of a service station in Lincoln Road about 2.50pm yesterday.
The man has entered no plea to charges of recklessly damaging a rubbish bin by fire when he ought to know that danger to life was likely, assaulting two men, and resisting a constable.
- NZPA
