Prison for massacre footage sharer
A CHRISTCHURCH businessman who shared a video of worshippers being slaughtered at a New Zealand mosque was yesterday sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Philip Arps had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing the video, which was livestreamed on Facebook by a gunman on March 15 as he killed 51 people at two mosques.
Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen O’Driscoll said when questioned about the video, Arps had described it as “awesome” and had shown no empathy toward the victims.
The judge said the strong and unrepentant views about the Muslim community were, in effect, a hate crime.
“Your offending glorifies and encourages the mass murder carried out under the pretext of religious and racial hatred,” Judge O’Driscoll said.
He said Arps had sent the video to 30 associates and had asked somebody to insert crosshairs and include a kill count in order to create an internet meme.
Under New Zealand laws aimed at preventing the distribution of objectionable material, Arps faced up to 14 years imprisonment on each count.
The judge said the defendant had argued he had a right to distribute the video under the banner of freedom to pursue his political beliefs.
Arps’s lawyer Anselm Williams told the judge his client should not be sent to prison.
“It’s my submission that this court needs to be very careful to sentence Mr Arps based on what it is that he has actually done, and what he accepts he has done, not on the basis of the views that he holds,” Mr Williams said.
After the hearing, he said Arps had filed an appeal against his sentence.
Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, last week pleaded not guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism in the mosque shooting case. His trial has been scheduled for next May.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has helped lead a global pledge named the “Christchurch Call”, aimed at boosting efforts to keep internet platforms from being used to spread hate, organise extremist groups and broadcast attacks.