A Whitehorse man facing several charges of assaulting police officers and other criminal charges is to be sent for a psychiatric assessment.

Late last week, Chief Judge Heino Lilles of the territorial court agreed with an application by the defence lawyer to have Tommy Otis Gainz undergo an assessment at an accredited psychiatric facility to determine if he was criminally responsible for his actions.

While expressing some concern about the ability of the Yukon government to secure a bed Outside, Lilles did order that Gainz be sent to one of four psychiatric hospitals in western Canada, depending on which becomes available first.

The four are psychiatric facilities in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Edmonton, North Battleford, Sask. and Winnipeg.

Gainz, 25, is scheduled to be back before Lilles on Jan. 27.

Crown prosecutor Kevin Drolet told the court that 30 days should be sufficient to conclude the assessment, given the man has already undergone some preliminary assessment work.

Gainz is charged with assaulting three officers, causing damage to a jail cell at the Whitehorse detachment, possession of marijuana, impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath or blood sample.

The accused was formally known as Owen Martin Venables.

Lilles has been critical in the past of the Yukon government's handling of psychiatric remand cases, in terms of providing court-ordered supervision and securing beds at approved psychiatric facilities when accused persons require an assessment.