The Mississauga man charged after an incident on a Sunwing flight from Toronto to Panama Friday was released on $1,000 bail Saturday and sent to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Ali Shahi, 25, faces several charges including mischief to property, endangering the safety of an aircraft and uttering threats.

Police took Shahi straight from the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton to an undisclosed hospital Saturday evening, his father Sadegh Shahi told reporters outside the courthouse. He said his son will remain in the hospital for a minimum of 72 hours as a condition of his release.

Sunwing Airlines says its plane turned around about 45 minutes into the flight Friday morning after a passenger allegedly made a “direct threat” to the aircraft.

Two fighter jets from NORAD were dispatched to escort the flight, carrying 183 passengers and a crew of six, back to Pearson airport.

Dramatic cellphone video footage from passengers on board that was broadcast on several television networks showed heavily armed SWAT team officers storming aboard the plane to arrest the passenger.

After several hours’ delay, the Sunwing flight took off again for Panama.

As part of his release, Shahi, who was dressed in a coral T-shirt and grey sweatpants at his hearing Saturday, must reside with his surety, cannot possess or acquire any weapons or weapons licences, is not allowed to board any aircraft or be present at Pearson airport. He must attend court as required and tell his sureties about his court dates.

Evidence from Saturday’s hearing is protected under a publication ban.

Shahi has suffered from depression for years and needs help with both mental health issues and a gambling problem, his father said Saturday. He said he and his wife, Elham, have called the police on their son 23 times after verbal altercations, hoping to get him some treatment.

“Unfortunately they didn’t. Every time I told them he has illness, he has mental problems but nobody helped,” he said.

Peel Regional Police wouldn’t confirm whether they had ever had contact with the family. Media spokesperson Const. Thomas Ruttan told the Star “it really has nothing to do with what took place Friday.”

Shahi said he’s relieved his son will be assessed in a hospital and hopes they can do something to regulate Shahi’s depression and gambling problem.

“I think if he doesn’t get the help he could come back to the house and give us a hard time and he’ll end up being in jail again,” he said. “There’s no system to put him in the hospital. I need him to be treated, rehab or something for him.”

Although Shahi’s father said he hadn’t had a chance to talk to his son about the incident on the Sunwing plane, he doesn’t believe his son is dangerous.

“He doesn’t mean anything. He’s scared of a mosquito. He’s a very nice guy. Only mental (problems). When he’s mental, he can say anything, but he won’t do anything.”

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Shahi will be back in court Aug. 25.

With files from The Canadian Press