A man accused of an extended sexual assault on his ex-girlfriend has been ordered to undergo a 30-day psychological evaluation.
The 42-year-old man is in custody, but chose not to be brought by sheriffs into a Penticton courtroom for his first appearance on Thursday.
āHeās not feeling quite up to par,ā said defence counsel James Pennington, who asked his client be sent to the Lower Mainland for the assessment to determine if the manās fit to carry on with court proceedings.
A ban imposed by the court prohibits publication of any information that would identify the alleged 19-year-old victim.
The Western News has also chosen to also withhold the name of the accused to protect the alleged victimās identity.
The accused is charged with five offences, including kidnapping, unlawful confinement and sexual assault with a weapon.
The offences are alleged to have occurred Aug. 10 and 11.
Penticton RCMP said in a press release the accused āallegedly confined and assaultedā the woman.
Following the alleged assault, āthe suspect appears to have then taken some pills, resulting in unconsciousness,ā the release said.
āThe female victim successfully freed herself and then drove herself and the unconscious male back from the remote area at which time she called police.ā
The accused was taken to hospital in Penticton, where he remained under guard until Tuesday, when he was transferred to RCMP cells.
Outside court on Thursday, the victimās mother said her daughter first met the accused when she was 14, but they only began dating in April following a meeting at a local coffee shop where his band was playing.
She was unsure when the couple broke up.
The mother said her daughterās ex-boyfriend was āreally controlling of her around her friends,ā and their relationship wasnāt widely known.
The alleged victim was not in court on Thursday.
āSheās not doing good,ā said her mother, who was pleased the accused will remain in custody at least until his next court appearance on Sept. 11.
āIām glad theyāre doing something to keep him in, and keep my little girl safe,ā the mother said.