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Richard Trevor Sivell is a New Zealand conspiracy theorist who was convicted of threatening to kill then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2021 and 2022. He will be sentenced on 7 January 2025.[1]
Richard Trevor Sivell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 or 1983 (age 41–42) |
| Criminal status | Convicted, not yet sentenced |
| Criminal charge | Threatening to kill |
Time at large | 20 months, 15 days |
| Details | |
| Victims | Jacinda Ardern |
Span of crimes | 2021–2022 |
| Country | New Zealand |
Date apprehended | 9 January 2024 |
Initial arrest and disappearance, 2022
editAfter making threats to kill in late 2021 and early 2022 at the 2022 Wellington protest, Sivell was arrested on 29 March 2022. He appeared in court the next month, was granted bail, and then failed to make his next scheduled appearance. A warrant for his arrest was duly issued.[2]
Arrest and trial, 2024
editAfter more than 20 months on the run, Sivell was arrested on 9 January 2024. New charges were laid, relating to his missed court dates in April 2022. Not guilty pleas were deemed in May, and a trial set for October.[3]
At trial on 2 October 2024, the court heard audio recordings, originally published on social media channels connected to Counterspin Media, in which Sivell said he had "a noose with [Ardern's] name on it", that he would be "quite happy to execute" her (and other politicians), and that he'd also be "quite happy to come down and construct some gallows". Other evidence included text messages in which he told his mother he wanted to "see Jacinda hang for crimes against humanity".[2]
Sivell was convicted on three charges - threatening to kill, obstruction (relating to his 2022 arrest), and the bail-related charge which had been laid in 2024.[2]
Self-representation and "sovereign citizen" arguments"
editSivell represented himself in court and attempted to use arguments drawn from the widely debunked sovereign citizen movement to show that the court had no jurisdiction over him. Judge Paul Geoghegan, in June 2024, and Judge Christopher Harding, that October, both dismissed Sivell's arguments as "gobbledegook".[2][3]
References
edit- ^ Bathgate, Benn (3 October 2024). "Man who wanted to build gallows, hear Jacinda Ardern's 'neck snap' guilty of threats to kill". Stuff. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wall, Tony (5 June 2024). "Richard Sivell, on the run for almost two years, appears in court". Stuff. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ a b Conchie, Sandra (6 June 2024). "Bay of Plenty's Richard Sivell faces trial for alleged Jacinda Ardern death threat". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
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