A man chased and restrained by members of the public after allegedly snatching a five-year-old child in broad daylight has been sent for a mental health assessment.
John Michael Gray, 26, is charged with unlawfully taking a child and possessing a knife in public without a reasonable excuse.
Mr Gray is accused of grabbing a child he did not know in Petrie Plaza in Civic shortly after 1pm on Saturday.
He ran towards a laneway while holding the child, according to police, with the child's mother and onlookers in pursuit.
Police say Mr Gray eventually let go of the child and dropped a knife, which the ACT Magistrates Court heard on Monday was a black folding knife with an eight-centimetre blade.
He was held by members of the public until police arrived to arrest him and take him to the ACT Watch House.
Mr Gray appeared in court via audio-visual link from a remote room on Monday morning, and sat with his head bowed as Magistrate James Lawton read out the charges.
He did not apply for bail or enter pleas.
Lawyer Adelaide Titterton told the court there had been a recommendation that Mr Gray be sent to Canberra Hospital to determine whether he was suffering from a mental health impairment.
Mr Lawton ordered that to take place, and adjourned the case until completion of the assessment.
It is unclear when Mr Gray will return to court, but he will remain in custody until his next appearance.
On Sunday, ACT Policing Detective Superintendent Jason Kennedy praised the people who had chased down Mr Gray.
"What I would like to do is just thank the Canberra public that did assist in getting this child back," he said.
Detective Superintendent Kennedy said police would not comment further while the case was before the court.
