Teen vandals get year for mosque attacks

Ross Baumgarten, 18, (left) and Jason Molloy, 19, during their sentencing yesterday. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Two teenagers dressed in army camouflage clothing were spotted outside a Manurewa mosque with their car lights off, and one made offensive comments about Muslims when questioned by suspicious police.

It was July 8, just hours after news broke of the London bombings, but police let the pair go. Shortly after, the youths began a three-day spate of vandalism against Muslim places of worship round Auckland.

Jason Paul Molloy, 19, and Ross Mark Baumgarten, 18, were yesterday each sentenced to one year's imprisonment for seven counts of intentional damage on mosque and cultural centres.

They have been given leave to apply for home detention and will have to pay reparation of $5000 each at a minimum rate of $20 a week once they are released from jail.

At their sentencing in the Manukau District Court, Judge Thomas Everitt said that on July 7 Molloy had texted an associate: "The war has begun! Sand niggers have blown up London. We should retaliate against mosques here".

About 1am on July 8, police stopped Molloy and Baumgarten outside the Sundip Temple because their car lights were off. The pair were wearing army-style camouflage clothing and when asked if they had heard about the London bombings, Molloy looked at the temple across the road and replied: "I don't know about these ... ers coming over here and using our land to build temples."

Judge Everitt said the youths were "for some reason" released and within 40 minutes they had smashed mosque windows in Otahuhu.

Molloy sent another text about their extensive reconnaissance work, and the following day another four mosques were attacked.

In all, six mosques or cultural centres had their windows smashed and graffiti reading "R I P London" sprayed on their walls in seven attacks.

Judge Everitt said the outrageous desecration was motivated by religious or racial hate and corrupted politics. There was abhorrence to such offending in New Zealand, where many races and religions lived in harmony.

The judge said a firm response was required to denounce, condemn and deter such offending, including for "others who might be standing in the shadows".

Judge Everitt said nothing short of a jail sentence would be appropriate, but he took into account Molloy's and Baumgarten's age, their previous clear record, guilty pleas, stated remorse and willingness to pay reparation.

Aggravating features included the premeditation and substantial losses to the Muslim community, with damages of about $14,000.

Judge Everitt said the pair had put the blame for the London bombings on innocent people.

It also emerged in court that after Molloy's arrest on July 15, but before Baumgarten's arrest on August 1, the pair had frightened people with a pellet rifle.

On July 21, with Baumgarten driving, Molloy had in his possession a military-style M16 semi-automatic air rifle, which fired hard plastic pellets.

Dressed in black and wearing a balaclava, Molloy got out of the car and hid in some bushes, where he fired two or three shots at a woman who was starting her car. One of the pellets hit the window.

The pair drove round Castor Bay on the North Shore shooting at pedestrians. Judge Everitt said it was more than a prank. Their motives were "something more sinister".

On charges of carrying a firearm, he sentenced them each to six months' imprisonment, and for presenting a firearm one month in jail, both to be served concurrently with the year-long terms for the vandalism.