A Japanese laborer who stabbed an English biologist at a Santa Fe hotel last year would be returned to Japan for a supervised probation under a plan reportedly proposed by his lawyer.

Kazuki Hirano of Yokohama has been behind bars since April 2, 2008, when he plunged a hunting knife into the thigh of Rupert Sheldrake of London as the biologist finished lecturing on "Memory and Morphic Resonance" at the 10th International Conference on Science and Consciousness at La Fonda.

In a subsequent interview in jail, Hirano said he believes Sheldrake is controlling his thoughts: "He's doing testing on the public and using my brain. ... I can hear the voice in my head. ... It makes me very stupid. ... My brain is woken up by telepathy. People can see my mind ... watching me like a scary face."

In a trial this summer, Hirano, 34, told a jury how after hearing voices in his head for seven years, he came to Santa Fe to confront Sheldrake because he believed Sheldrake controlled his mind with telepathy. But when he cornered Sheldrake in a hotel hallway, Hirano said, the "two-faced, nasty man" began "talking down to me."

The jury found Hirano "guilty but mentally ill" of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. State District Judge Michael Vigil imposed the maximum prison term of three years. Hirano has served more than 15 months so far — part of it in the Santa Fe County jail and most recently in the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Los Lunas. With 15 percent of his sentence discounted for good behavior, Hirano could be eligible for release by late October 2010.

A hearing had been set for June 25 to reconsider Hirano's sentence and to hear from Nathaniel Hurwitz, a psychiatrist at the Los Lunas prison, about Hirano's progress. In February, Hurwitz told the court that Hirano is taking anti-psychotic medication, has been compliant, polite and well-organized, and appears to understand his mental illness. But on June 24, Hurwitz moved to the suppress a subpoena ordering him to testify the next day.

"The untimely service of this subpoena is exacerbated by the fact that there is no substantial need for Dr. Hurwitz's testimony," wrote lawyer Debra Moulton of Albuquerque. "Dr. Hurwitz has not made any forensic assessment concerning (Hirano). Moreover, Dr. Hurwitz has not formed any opinion as to how (Hirano's) condition effects (sic) the risks associated with his potential release from custody."

Sydney West, a public defender who represents Hirano and had sought Hurwitz's testimony, then moved to postpone the June 25 hearing to Aug. 25. West has not been available for comment, but Judge Vigil said recently that West told him she is trying to work out a form of supervised probation in Japan so Hirano could be returned before his sentence is up.

A spokesman for the Japanese consul in Denver said he is aware of the Hirano case, but has not heard from West and knows nothing of a plan for supervised probation in Japan. Hirano said in a recent telephone interview that he has not heard from West for more than a month and knows nothing about a plan for supervised probation in Japan.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com">tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.