By Tom McRae
A man accused of attacking Jewish headstones in Auckland appeared in court today, but denies he had anything to do with it.
More than 20 headstones at Auckland’s oldest graveyard were vandalised with anti-Semitic slogans and swastikas last week.
Accused Nathan Symington says he didn’t do it.
“This is a smear campaign by the Auckland City Police, if this is for the Jewish shit."
Symington's Facebook page has photos of the attack, along with anti-Semitic posts and numerous photos of him using the neo-Nazi salute.
But he still denies it.
“You guys are interviewing the wrong person,” Symington tells 3 News. “I think it's disgusting that they would even say it. I'm Romanian, so Hitler f***ed up heaps of my people, and they're saying I did that shit. Hell no. It's the police that are disgusting. They need to be sorted out.”
Symington appeared in court this morning on breach of bail conditions in relation to other charges.
Over the weekend he and another man were charged with intentionally damaging gravestones. He says he disapproves of the vandalism.
“It's disgusting that it happened. Even that someone’s dead let alone Jewish, it really has nothing to do with the race. The main thing is that someone's grave was desecrated, you know, so it's just disgusting.”
The attack at the Grafton cemetery on Thursday evening sparked outrage in the Jewish community. Each of the graves is more than 125 years old.
Meanwhile, police are investigating a similar case of vandalism on the same day, this time on a Grey Lynn house. No one has been charged yet in relation to the graffiti on windows and considerable damage done to the house.
One of the slogans written on both the graves and the house was “88”, which stands for "heil Hitler", as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
Owner of the house Steve Saussey doesn’t understand why it is happening.
“I don't know whether extreme right-wing imagery is some sign of the times. It could be ignorant people, or it could be a trend, but its obviously not a good thing.”
The owners aren't Jewish and are stumped as to why their house was targeted.
Symington walked away today, but he and another man are due back in court tomorrow.
3 News
Portions of this video have been blurred after the accused was granted image suppression