Phillips was convicted in 2012 of exposing himself to a woman outside The Warehouse in New Plymouth.
In court, defence lawyer Nina Laird said Phillips, in his early 40s, waived his right to a pre-sentence report and requested a term of imprisonment.
However, Laird, who acknowledged jail was the likely outcome, was worried about the mental health of Phillips.
She asked that Phillips be remanded into custody for the purpose of a mental health assessment, despite him warning he would not cooperate with the report writer.
Laird had spoken with a forensic health nurse and submitted an assessment of Phillips would assist the court in its sentencing, canvassing possible post-release conditions such as whether he would benefit from a compulsory treatment order, which he has previously been subject to.