From Stuff:
Teenager accused of damaging mosques appears in court
16 July 2005
A teenager accused of vandalising mosques in seven attacks around Auckland may also be charged with inciting racial tension.
The 18-year-old from Flat Bush appeared in Manukau District Court yesterday facing seven charges of intentional damage to places of Muslim worship.
He was granted interim name suppression until a pre-depositions hearing in August.
Slightly built and of European origin, the short-haired teenager was dressed in a black jacket and loose-fitting jeans.
Defence lawyer Shane Tait told the court his client wanted name suppression as he was a fulltime student in a tertiary institution and the serious charges could affect the qualifications he was seeking.
The accused had not yet been able to inform his family.
Mr Tait said it was of significance that the police were seeking consent from the Attorney General to lay a further charge of inciting racial tension.
Six mosques were desecrated. Windows were smashed and walls daubed with graffiti with variations of “RIP London” in apparent retaliation to the London bombings.
Police are seeking others in relation to the vandalism.
The teenager is charged with intentional damage of the Otahuhu mosque early last Friday and the following Sunday.
He is also charged with the vandalism of mosques at Mt Roskill, Ponsonby and Ranui, and of the Blockhouse Bay Islamic centre in New Lynn and the Al-Farooq Cultural Centre at Otahuhu.
Mr Tait said bail had not been opposed although police had stipulated strict conditions.
Police opposed the application for name suppression but Judge Semi Epati granted interim suppression which he said would be revised when the accused next appeared in court.
The teenager hid his face from the media when he was released from the back of the court building and taken away by police.
Muslims said this week they felt the police had let them down after the first attack on the Otahuhu mosque by not increasing surveillance of other mosques which were subsequently attacked.
