Ex-partner given dead cat, court told

A man has been charged with psychological abuse of his ex-partner by presenting her with a dead cat in a box.

He has now been seen by psychiatric services and has been placed on medication.

Riki Maurice Timblick stood calmly in the dock of the Christchurch District Court to make application for bail today on a charge of breaching a protection order the woman had taken out against him.

The police have charged that the breach of the order "amounted to psychological abuse of the protected person".

Defence counsel Bryan Green referred to the cat having been dead for four months, when he sought bail from Judge David Saunders for the unemployed 36-year-old from Casebrook.

Judge Saunders asked about whether Timblick now knew of the address of the woman before he granted bail, warning him that he could not contact her in any way.

"I don't want that, Sir," Timblick replied from the dock.

The judge also ordered him to take his medication as directed and attend appointments as directed by Mental Health Services.

He remanded Timblick on bail to September 27.

- NZPA