New London ― Continued disruptions and delays led a Superior Court judge this week to halt murder suspect Christopher Petteway’s short-lived attempt to represent himself at trial.

Judge Shari Murphy said she made the decision on Monday during jury selection after Petteway, who is charged with stabbing to death a 63-year-old New London man in 2018, declined to return to the courtroom after a lunch break.

Murphy announced the news to Petteway, 46, on Wednesday where jury selection was supposed to continue. Would-be jurors had been sent home earlier in the day when Petteway initially did not show up to court in the morning.

Petteway had refused his Wednesday morning transport to court from MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institute in Suffield, citing a misunderstanding about the proceedings. When he did finally agree to come to court in the afternoon, Petteway refused to speak to his court appointed, stand-by attorney, Christopher Duby.

When Murphy asked Petteway about his refusal to return to the courtroom after Monday’s lunch break, Petteway said “I was under a lot of stress.” Petteway said he instead was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Murphy said that the court had been patient through months of delays, including dismissal of an entire 12-member jury last summer following continued complaints from Petteway about his public defender team.

Petteway has twice been allowed to fire his court-appointed attorneys and at least once declined to come to scheduled court date because the state did not provide a special transport van he needed to avoid back muscle spasms. He was twice found competent to stand trial and aid in his own defense based on results of two different court-ordered evaluations.

Murphy said Wednesday that Petteway’s behavior appeared to be a delay tactic and an attempt “to subvert” the state prosecution’s plan to bring the case to trial.

“If you’re not here, there’s just no way you can represent yourself,” Murphy said.

Murphy appointed Duby, a public defender, to handle the trial and pick up where jury selection left off.

Petteway’s response to the news was to announce “from this time forward, I’m not coming back to do this.”

“You guys can just do whatever you want to do,” Petteway said.

Murphy told Petteway he can waive his right to be present at trial but that it would “continue in your absence.”

Petteway, 46, is charged with murder and violation of a standing protective order in the 2018 stabbing death of 63-year-old Robert Parise, a salon owner and Petteway’s former housemate and intimate partner.

Police say Petteway stabbed Parise multiple times at Parise’s New London home on Oct. 4, 2018. Parise was able to identify Petteway as his attacker before he died, police said.

Prior to the alleged stabbing, Petteway was sentenced to 30 days in prison and two years probation in connection with a domestic violence incident involving Parise.

Jury selection in the case is expected to resume later on Friday.

g.smith@theday.com