Grave desecrator self-deports to avoid jail
A U.K. citizen found guilty of desecrating 20 Jewish graves in Auckland has shown a New Zealand court evidence of his pending departure amo0unting to a self-imposed deportation avoiding possible jail.
20-yr-old Christian Landmark was found guilty in June of defacing the graves with Nazi slogans in October last year.
Landmark has paid NZ$3000 rtowards the repair of the damage he caused. The Auckland District Court heard Crown Prosecutor Mark Sweetman say the Jewish community had been “incredibly forgiving”.
But president of the Auckland Jewish Council Geoff Levy told J-Wire: “The Jewish Community entered into a restorative justice programme with Moulden, the other defendant.However although we met with Landmark and his representatives it was decided not to enter into a similar programme with Landmark. He is leaving New Zealand and is likely not to be allowed to return to this country or to go to USA ( where his parents reside), Canada, Australia and various other countries, because of his conviction. We told Landmark about the damage he had done to both the cemetery and to the Community in general and how disgusted we were with him and how we felt about his actions.
In addition he did serve 21 days in prison whilst on remand. He has paid the $3000.00 by way of reparation.
As far as we know no member of the Auckland Jewish Community has taken steps in regard to Landmark apart from meeting with him to state in effect that we wanted nothing to do with him. Landmark did not impress any of the Jewish attendees at the interview. We have not been forgiving with him. Crown Counsel was referring to the generous gestures with Moulden rather than Landmark.
We are pleased that Landmark is leaving the country forthwith and may not be allowed to return.
Goodbye and good riddance to this piece of trash. I just hope he doesn’t try to get into Oz.