Mental health report ordered for man accused of threatening to kill 'non-Muslims'

The matter was called at North Shore District Court this afternoon. Photo / NZME

The court has ordered a mental health report be carried out for a young man accused of threatening to kill non-Muslims in Auckland.

The 20-year-old appeared in North Shore District Court this afternoon via audio-visual link from Auckland Prison at Paremoremo. He has been granted interim name suppression.

His mother waved to him from the public gallery. At the end of his appearance he told her he loved her.

The man has been charged with making a threat against non-Muslims in the Auckland community between July 13 and September 7 last year, as well as two counts of supplying or distributing an objectionable publication on August 5.

A further six charges were laid against the man in November for being in possession of objectionable materials on September 8.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment or a $50,000 fine.

Defence counsel Peter Syddall told Judge Kirsten Lummis a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) report was also being written by Dr Valerie McGinn.

The man was further remanded in custody to next appear at Auckland District Court in April.

The man first appeared in court one week after Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen went on a stabbing frenzy at the LynnMall Countdown, injuring multiple people.

At the time Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled that incident a terrorist attack.

In a name suppression hearing in September, Syddall said his client "can't be held in custody for ever".

Syddall said publishing the man's name and details of the alleged offending would damage his rehabilitation prospects.

"[He] is not yet in the same boat as Mr Samsudeen, the LynnMall attacker. We have a chance here and we need to do everything we can to make sure that chance bears fruit."

Syddall said the teen was held in a cell for 23 hours a day.

"He already feels alone and anti-social."

The alleged offending seemed to result from the man's social isolation in relation to cognitive difficulties, prosecutor David Johnstone said.

"The prospect of being named may [send] him down what he regards as a black hole to which the only exit is violence."