Mosque video sharers threatened
A judge has warned people about making threats or offering support online to those facing charges over handling of the mosque shooting video.
Death threats have already been made, Crown prosecutor Pip Currie told Judge Stephen O’Driscoll in the Christchurch District Court as the cases were called yesterday.
The threats have led to the Crown taking a neutral stance about continuing name suppression for many of those charged, as their cases progress through the system. The Crown is also concerned that if names are known through the lifting of the current suppression orders, people might offer support online to those charged.
‘‘It would be wise to let justice take its course without any outside interference, by anyone either supporting those who have come before the court, or anyone wishing to exact some form of justice on them before they come before court,’’ O’Driscoll said.
The Crown has also relented about its insistence at first appearances in March that most of those held remain in custody. Several were released on bail yesterday, but interim suppression orders were continued.
One man charged has pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of the manifesto of the alleged mosque shooter. He was remanded in custody to April 26 to consider his plea to a newly laid charge of distributing the
Judge shooting video.
Currie said the manifesto was found on the 22-year-old’s cellphone. It had been downloaded in the three days after the shootings. The man told police he did not agree with government censorship and he had a right to have the manifesto, review it, and make his own decision ‘‘under the Bill of Rights’’.
One man, aged 17, charged with distributing the video of the mosque killings, has asked for diversion under the scheme that allows first offenders to avoid convictions if they apologise and make amends. The diversion has been refused by the Crown but the man’s lawyer, Anselm Williams, has asked for a review of the decision. The man was further remanded on bail to May 13 for a plea to be entered.
Another man, aged 41, was remanded on bail without plea to May 6 on charges alleging possession of objectionable material, a pipe for smoking methamphetamine, a pistol, and cannabis. His name was suppressed and photography by media was refused.
Another man, Philip Neville Arps, facing two charges of distributing the video, was remanded in custody without plea to April 26.
A 21-year-old was granted bail on a charge of distributing the mosque video, because the Crown did not oppose it any longer. He has entered no plea and was remanded to May 15 with continued name suppression.
A 55-year-old man arrested after a police raid on a property north of Christchurch, but only facing charges of possessing equipment for cultivating cannabis and possessing a restricted weapon – a Taser – was released on bail for his remand to May 10 for pleas to be entered.
An 18-year-old was remanded in custody to a Crown case review hearing on July 31 on a charge of distributing the shooting video. He has pleaded not guilty. Bail was refused but defence counsel Andrew McKenzie indicated that an application for the man’s release on electronically monitored bail would be made in the meantime. He has name suppression until the case review.
An 18-year-old facing charges of possessing the objectionable video, and threatening behaviour likely to incite violence, was remanded in custody without plea to April 24 for an electronically monitored bail application to be made. Name suppression was granted and ordinary bail was refused.