Trump shirt man pleads guilty
A man wearing a Trump shirt who abused people outside a mosque targeted in the Christchurch terror attack wants to say sorry to the victims of his insulting behaviour.
Daniel Nicholas Tuapawa, 33, a labourer, says he cannot remember his actions, has nothing against Muslim people, and was shocked when police showed him the video taken by a witness.
Tuapawa, who was arrested on Thursday after a day-long police hunt, appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday via audio visual link from a police cell.
He pleaded guilty to ‘‘being in a public place when he behaved in an insulting manner that was likely in the circumstances to cause violence against persons to start’’.
Tuapawa’s lawyer told the court he could not explain how or why it happened.
About 4.30pm on Wednesday, Tuapawa, wearing a black shirt with the words ‘‘Trump for New Zealand’’ on the back, yelled abuse at members of the Muslim community gathered at Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave, where more than 40 people were shot dead in the March 15 terror attack. He yelled: ‘‘I am sick of these f...wits, they need to f... off,’’ and ‘‘All Muslims are terrorists, they should get the f... out of here’’, and ‘‘I’m over these Muslims and they need to leave’’.
Two armed police officers were present at the mosque, but did not arrest him. He walked off through Hagley Park. Six officers worked all day Thursday to try find the man, arresting him that night.
Defence counsel Steven Hembrow said Tuapawa was deeply ashamed and could not explain his behaviour.
He said he had gone walking through the park, stopped to look at flowers and could not remember what happened next.
When he was shown video footage of the abuse he was shocked, upset and distressed at what he saw.
He said he had nothing against Muslims and could not explain his actions, but would live with it for the rest of his life.
Hembrow said Tuapawa had a history of alcohol and drug abuse, and had stopped his medication for anxiety for some time before this incident. Tuapawa said outside court that he had blackouts and needed to get his mental health ‘‘sorted’’.
‘‘This is the cause of it. I have blackouts, and yeah. I’m getting it sorted OK.’’
He said he was ‘‘so sorry’’ about what he said and had not realised he said what he did.
‘‘I’m very sorry and I would shake their hand. I’m sorry, I am.’’
Judge Bridget Mackintosh remanded Tuapawa on bail for sentencing on July 31. She has referred him for a restorative justice conference, and asked for a presentence report.
One of his conditions of bail is that he is not to be found within 500 metres of any mosque in Christchurch.
A review is being held into the way police responded.
Canterbury police district commander Superintendent John Price earlier said that, in his view, the man should have been arrested at the scene.