Richard Sivell is accused of threatening to kill former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
A Western Bay of Plenty man accused of threatening to kill former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a judge he had no blood on my hands. <\/p>\n
Richard Trevor Sivell, 41, from Te Ranga was rearrested in Taup almost two years after a warrant was issued in Tauranga. <\/p>\n
He will face trial on four charges after appearances in the Tauranga District Court, most recently on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
Court documents show Sivell is accused of threatening to kill Ardern in Auckland between November 29, 2021, and January 19, 2022, when she was still Prime Minister. The charge carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. <\/p>\n
Sivell also faced two charges relating to his prior arrest on March 29, 2022 intentionally obstructing a police officer and failing to assist the officer during a search. <\/p>\n
The fourth charge relates to Sivells alleged failure to answer district court bail on April 26, 2022. <\/p>\n
Police confirmed to the Bay of Plenty Times Sivell was rearrested in Taup on or around January 10 20 months and 15 days after a district court judge signed a warrant for his arrest. <\/p>\n
Sivell represented himself at a court judicial intervention hearing on May 1. <\/p>\n
He told Judge David Cameron he wanted to make it clear he had no blood on his hands and came into the court with clean hands. <\/p>\n
Police sought a judge-alone trial despite Sivell not entering pleas to his charges. <\/p>\n
Judge Cameron told Sivell that not-guilty pleas were deemed to be entered and the matter now had to proceed to trial. <\/p>\n
Sergeant Tina Smallman informed Judge Cameron six prosecution witnesses would be called to give evidence at the trial expected to take half a day. <\/p>\n
Following that hearing, Judge Cameron imposed interim suppression orders preventing the publication of Sivells name and charges. <\/p>\n
Yesterday, Judge Paul Geoghegan lifted the suppression orders and remanded Sivell on bail to reappear in court on October 2 for his judge-alone trial. <\/p>\n
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional\/community reporter of the year. <\/p>\n
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Bay of Plentys Richard Sivell faces trial for alleged Jacinda Ardern death threat - Bay of Plenty Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Richard Sivell is accused of threatening to kill former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo \/ NZME A Western Bay of Plenty man accused of threatening to kill former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a judge he had no blood on my hands. Continue reading