A 16-year-old awaiting sentencing for possession of the objectionable mosque terror attack video has been released on bail again after admitting possession of cannabis.
The youth, who cannot be named because he is being dealt with in the Youth Court jurisdiction, was arrested on Monday and appeared in the Youth Court on Tuesday when he was remanded in custody at the Te Puna Wai Youth Justice facility at Rolleston.
Back in court today before Judge Jane McMeeken, he admitted possession of cannabis and a family group conference will be held next week to decide how that charge should be dealt with.
Youth advocate Moana Cole told the judge a drug screening assessment had been done which concluded that the teenager had used cannabis as a coping mechanism, but he had acknowledged that he needed help.
The family group conference is expected to consider how to arrange counselling or treatment.
Last week, he admitted possession of the mosque shooting video, after the Crown decided to drop a charge of distributing the video which had been live streamed on March 15, when a gunman killed 51 people and shot 40 others in an attack at two Christchurch mosques.
After his plea to the cannabis charge today, Judge McMeeken held a bail hearing and decided that he could be released on bail again, to live with at his mother’s address under continued strict conditions which were imposed when he was released on May 30 after about two months in custody.
He must have no access to a phone, tablet, or computer, and no involvement with any social media platform. A hearing on April 18 may relax this condition so that he can have controlled access to computers for his education.
He must remain at the house under a 24-hour-a-day curfew and he will have daily visits from a Youth Justice social worker.
He is banned from going within 500m of the mosques at Deans Avenue and Linwood Avenue, and from a school. He is not allowed to contact staff at the school.
He is banned from contacting two other men who have been charged over the video.
He is not allowed to use alcohol or “any mind-altering substances”.
He is not allowed any contact with a paint-ball group and he must abide by any instructions to attend any meetings with professionals.
The youth is for sentencing on the objectionable video charge on July 30. He is the youngest person charged with possession of the terror video.
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