Daniel Tuapawa was shocked and did not realize what he had done. (File photo: Reuters)
A 33-year-old New Zealand man pleaded guilty on Friday to harassing Muslims outside one of the Christchurch mosques where dozens were gunned down in a massacre last month but said he can’t remember anything about it.
Daniel Nicholas Tuapawa was said to have been shocked and did not realize what he had done until police showed him a video in which he was yelling abusive comments including “all Muslims are terrorists.”
When Tuapawa appeared in court charged with disorderly behavior that was “likely to cause violence,” his lawyer said his client was ashamed of his actions and could not explain how or why it happened, local media reported.
Tuapawa was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the name of US President Donald Trump when he shouted abuse at Muslims outside the Al Noor mosque on Wednesday. He was arrested on Thursday.
Tuapawa was remanded on bail to be sentenced on July 31. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 of attempted murder after opening fire at Al Noor and a second Christchurch mosque on March 15.
