NAHA, Okinawa — An Air Force psychiatrist Monday said Kevin Parks was admitted to the mental health unit of the U.S. Naval Hospital on Camp Lester twice during the week after he beat and raped an Okinawa prostitute Oct. 1.

But although Parks, 22, was diagnosed as having a bipolar mood disorder, the mental health staff was in the dark as to just how dangerous the unemployed son of an Air Force nurse really was, testified Maj. James C. Brown. They did not know about the rape.

Parks pleaded guilty in January to rape involving an injury and faces a sentence of five years to life at hard labor in a Japanese prison. His defense called Brown to the stand to give evidence in mitigation for sentencing, contending that Parks was mentally impaired.

During previous hearings, Parks testified that he hit the 22-year-old woman in the face with a beer bottle, punched her several times and then raped her.

Brown testified that he first saw Parks in February 2006 and diagnosed him as being depressed and having a substance abuse problem.

He said he prescribed an antidepressant and did not see Parks again until the afternoon of Oct. 1, the same day as the rape. When he was discharged on Oct. 3 Parks’ mood swings were somewhat stabilized, but the treatment team had recommended he be sent back to the U.S. for further treatment, Brown said. Parks was readmitted Oct. 7 and was discharged again Oct. 9, the day he was arrested for the rape.

Following Brown’s testimony Monday, the three judges decided to appoint another psychiatrist to conduct an independent diagnosis, taking the rape incident into consideration.