Philip Arps owns a business with vans emblazoned with nazi references
The owner of a Nazi-themed insulation company was jailed by a judge in New Zealand when he appeared in court charged with sharing a video of the twin mosque terrorist attack in Christchurch.
Philip Arps, 44, appeared in a Christchurch court on Wednesday on two charges of distributing the killer’s livestream video of last week’s attack on Al Noor mosque, a violation of the country’s objectionable publications law. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Arps, heavily tattooed and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, has not entered a plea. He remained expressionless during the hearing, his hands clasped behind his back.
The judge denied him bail.
Court documents accuse Arps of distributing the video on Saturday, one day after the massacre.
Arps’ business Beneficial Insulation has vans emblazoned with neo-nazi references.
He previously appeared in a 2016 video delivering pigs heads to the same mosque that was targeted in last Friday’s attack.
In the video, which was shared among a small group of local neo-Nazis, Arps said the incident led to a conviction for offensive behaviour.
“It was a deliberate attack, and deliberate offence against Muslims, were the judge’s words. Obviously the judge knows me well,” Arps said, according to a transcript by the New Zealand Herald.
Arps will remain in jail until his next court appearance in April.
