A man who jumped out of the dock, ran towards a female supporter and appeared to swallow an unknown item has apologised to the judge presiding over his trial, saying "I just wanted a kiss".
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The judge-alone trial of Tavake Lee Pikula, 34, was about to begin in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday when he suddenly charged towards the public gallery.
He briefly embraced a female supporter, appearing to receive and swallow something during the interaction, before being handcuffed and hauled away by Corrective Services officers.
Pikula's trial for aggravated robbery was delayed in order for him to be medically assessed.
On Tuesday morning, Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson said Pikula had been cleared by doctors to attend his trial. No further details were given on what Pikula might have swallowed.
Pikula will now appear via audio-visual link from the Alexander Maconochie Centre, where he is in custody on remand.
Asked whether he could see and hear the courtroom, Pikula replied: "Yes, Your Honour. Sorry about yesterday. My bad. I just wanted a kiss."
The court then had to clear another hurdle by arraigning Pikula for a second time after he was previously charged under the incorrect name of Lee Tavake Pikula.
Pikula confirmed that he was pleading not guilty to one count of aggravated robbery.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Wren told the court Pikula was accused of robbing the Narrabundah Takeaway while armed with a kitchen knife on December 2 last year.
CCTV played to the court shows a man walking behind the counter, pulling headphones from the shop owner's ears and stomping on them.
The man grabs the shop owner's arm and walks her to the cash register and takes about $50 from it, before making off with the shop owner's handbag. The bag contained $900 and items including bank cards and a phone.
The shop owner's five-year-old son was present throughout.
Ms Wren said the CCTV clearly showed that a robbery had occurred.
"The Crown anticipates that the only real issue in this trial is the identity of the person who committed that robbery," she said.
Ms Wren said despite Pikula's denials, that person was him.
She said the shop owner had picked Pikula out of a police photoboard line-up and identified him as the offender.
Ms Wren also said Pikula had been identified three days prior to the incident as the driver of a silver Subaru used by the robber.
When police found that car at Pikula's address in McKellar, they searched it and seized items including a silver knife that appeared to match the one used by the robber.
The car also contained a grey baseball cap and a dark blue jacket, which seemed to be the same clothing worn by the offender.
The trial, which is expected to take several days, continues.
