Grave defacer must leave New Zealand or face prison
A foreign national found guilt of defacing Jewish graves in Auckland has been given a Get Out of Jail Card free…on the condition that he can produce a plane ticket showing his intended departure from New Zealand.
Graves with slogans
Earlier this month 20-yr-old Christian Landmark was found guilty of daubing slogans and swastikas on twenty graves in the Symonds St cemetery in Auckland.
During his sentencing hearing in the Auckland District Court Judge Russell Collins said that Landmark could not be given community service as he is not a New Zealand citizen.
The judge ordered Landmark to produce an international airline ticket plus evidence of 80 hours of voluntary community service plus a NZ$3000 bank cheque towards repairs when he next appears in court in August .
The judge, who said that Landmark was “cocky” during his trial told the “I seriously doubt you have any insight into how distressing the spraying of the symbol of that regime is to New Zealanders.”
Landmark, who had been held in custody, was released on bail subject to surrendering his passport.
