A Canberra man who jumped out of the dock in a dramatic incident that delayed the start of his trial has been found not guilty of aggravated robbery.
But a judge has given Tavake Lee Pikula, 34, a dressing down over his antics in the courtroom.
Mr Pikula faced a judge-alone trial in the ACT Supreme Court last week, accused of robbing the Narrabundah Takeaway with a knife in broad daylight on December 2.
He was accused of stealing the shop owner's handbag, which contained $900 and items including a phone, as well as taking $50 from the cash register.
Mr Pikula pleaded not guilty, denying that he was the man captured on CCTV carrying out the robbery.
His trial was minutes away from commencing last Monday when he suddenly vaulted the waist-high dock and charged towards the public gallery with ACT Corrective Services officers in pursuit.
A female supporter rushed forward to meet Mr Pikula at the edge of the public gallery. They briefly embraced and she appeared to pass Mr Pikula an unknown item, which he seemed to swallow.
Mr Pikula was subsequently handcuffed, hauled out of court and returned to the Alexander Maconochie Centre, where he was in custody on remand, to be medically monitored.
Doctors cleared Mr Pikula to attend the trial the next day and he ultimately took part via audio-visual link from the jail, rather than returning to court in person.
"Sorry about yesterday. My bad. I just wanted a kiss," he told Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson last Tuesday.
It remains unclear what, if anything, Mr Pikula might have swallowed.
On Friday morning, Justice Loukas-Karlsson returned a not guilty verdict on the single charge of aggravated robbery.
She indicated that the reasons for her decision would be published at a later date.
The judge then addressed Mr Pikula directly.
"I will give you one word of advice: no more jumping from the dock," Justice Loukas-Karlsson said.
Mr Pikula apologised again, but the judge had not finished.
"Follow the rules from now on and you will find that your life improves," Justice Loukas-Karlsson told Mr Pikula.
