New Zealander sentenced to 21 months in jail for spreading mosque attack videos : reports
Moscow, Jun 18 (Sputnik) A New Zealand court sentenced a Christchurch businessman to 21 months in prison for spreading online videos of the terror attacks on two mosques in the city in March, the 1 News broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
According to previous reports, 44-year-old Philip Arps appeared before the Christchurch District Court in March, where he was charged with two counts of distributing the live video of the tragedy and denied bail. He later pleaded guilty to the charges.
After serving his term, Arps will be released with special conditions, the media said. Specifically, he will have to undergo a six-month psychiatric examination and be treated for alcoholism and drug addiction. He will also be deprived of access to the Internet.
Arps’ lawyer, Anselm Williams, had argued that house arrest would be appropriate, but the judge said there was a high risk of Arps committing another offense.
Williams confirmed that he had appealed to the High Court on behalf of his client.
The attacks took place on March 15, leaving 51 people killed and dozens injured. The accused shooter, 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant, broadcast his actions live on social media, which prompted public backlash.
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