The man believed to have stabbed a nurse and then threatened to commit suicide appeared in court yesterday but pleaded that he was not mentally fit to stand trial.

Noel Calleja, 32, from Santa Venera, spent nearly five hours sitting on a horizontal flagpole threatening to jump on September 28 before a magistrate persuaded him to come down.

The incident happened a day after he was arrested in connection with the stabbing after the police had spent the night looking for him. He was taken to an apartment block by police who were told he would lead them to the spot where he hid the knife.

During the search inside the Qormi flat he escaped from his police escort, rushed to the roof and got on the horizontal flagpole threatening to commit suicide.

Yesterday, Mr Calleja stood in the dock, hardly able to keep his eyes open and with slurred speech gave his particulars to the court registrar.

He claimed was not in a fit mental state to undergo proceedings and would not be making a plea at this stage until he was examined.

Mr Calleja is charged with trying to kill Jacqueline Dipasquale, 44, from Swieqi, carrying an unlicensed knife, holding Ms Dipasquale and Nicola Cutajar against their will, stealing a car, damaging another car and relapsing.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke said three psychiatrists should assess the accused and determine if he was in a fit mental state to undergo proceedings.

He is to be kept at Mount Carmel Hospital in the meantime.