A man accused of kidnapping an 11-month-old baby in the back seat of a stolen car tried to call triple zero from his police cell.
Dean Robertson, 46, was arrested on Tuesday night after allegedly taking the car, with the young child in the back, from outside a home in Keysborough, in Melbourne's southeast.
His lawyer Jack Rabl told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday that he was trying to arrange a mental health assessment for his client, who didn't appear in court.
Custody officers told the court he was displaying COVID-19 symptoms and refusing to be tested, so couldn't leave his cell.
While Mr Rabl tried to organise a phone assessment, the officers said that could not be done.
"He had a phone call earlier and while he had the phone he made numerous calls to triple zero, making problems there," a custody officer said.
He said Robertson was behaving in an aggressive manner and refusing to engage.
Mr Rabl said his client had a history of psychological illness and multiple admissions, including recently.
He hopes to have Robertson assessed overnight and flagged a possible bail application when the case returns to court on Thursday.
