Radicalised teen who planned terrorist style attack takes up golf in rehabilitation process

  • 17/04/2018
The 18-year-old boy says he has taken up golf as part of his rehabilitation.
The 18-year-old boy says he has taken up golf as part of his rehabilitation. Photo credit: File

A radicalised teen who planned a terrorist style attack in Christchurch has taken up golf as part of his rehabilitation process. 

He didn't follow through with the attack but had planned to ram a car into a group of people and stab them.

The 18-year-old was radicalised online and planned the attack "for Allah".

He expected police would kill him after his rampage started, so had written a goodbye note to his mother. 

The teenager later told a psychologist he "decided not to hurt anybody because he did not have the means to kill enough people".

On Tuesday he appeared before Judge Stephen O'Driscoll for a judicial monitoring session, Christchurch Court News reports. 

In a letter to Judge O'Driscoll, the youth said golf was his "favourite activity".

"Positive goals I have been working on include correspondence, life skills, history courses, and counselling. I have been attending all my counselling sessions.

"I am participating in household activities. My favourite activity is golf. I am completing household chores. I have also been doing my chores without staff having to ask me to do them.

"I have been attending visits at the mosque and have been discussing religious viewpoints. I have been working on strategies to help me deal with the problems I face in life. When I am anxious, I discuss how I am feeling with staff and get support. I am also learning to respect other people and their opinions," The youth said. 

"My future goal is to become more independent and to be back with my mum and to complete my sentence."

Judge O'Driscoll said he was pleased with the youth's progress and has remanded him for another monitoring session in May. 

The boy has name suppression and the details of his offending cannot be published.

He lives in supervised conditions in monitored and supported accommodation that ensures he attends counselling.

Newshub.