A disgruntled reader is dropping unsolicited notes in local letterboxes.
The reader, whose identity is unknown at this stage, has taken exception to an open letter from The Religious Diversity Centre Trust on the Times’ Feedback page on September 1 last year in which the name and age of the Christchurch mosque murderer was published with the terrorist’s photo.
These same details were published throughout the country in every medium after the killer Brenton Tarrant, 29, was sentenced to jail for the rest of his life without the prospect of release on 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one charge of terrorism following the March 15, 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. He admitted the charges.
The angry reader threatened to distribute notes denouncing the Times’ decision to publish the piece and demanded two apologies via an anonymous letter to the paper’s owner Reay Neben. The paper refused.
And so began weeks of phone calls from readers mystified by the notes landing in random letterboxes in the Howick and Pakuranga area. All who contacted the Times had no idea what the messages meant. Some were angry and one woman’s child was distressed. Many were confused and asked if the Times had distributed them.
The notes are all delivered on customer cards from assorted supermarkets and refer to the “idiot Editor” [Editor’s note: I have been called this many times]. A contact name “Nick Toidi” is also included. Toidi is a palindrome – idiot spelled backwards.
Managing director Mrs Neben has contacted police and notes brought to the Times’ have been handed over.
“Recently in your letterbox you may have received a photocopied coupon with a local supermarket and Times logos on it,” she said.
“This is certainly not anything to do with us, nor the supermarkets and the message on the note is extremely offensive to both my editor and the Times.
“If you do receive this in your letterbox, we will pass that information on to the police. We do not know who this person is and I have no idea – other than defaming us – what this person is hoping to achieve.
“Over the past 49 years of publishing the Times, this is a first. There are proper channels in place for all media if we publish anything that is unacceptable or wrong. Please help us and the police to put an end to this offensive nonsense.”
- If you should receive one or have any other information, please email editor@times.co.nz with a photo from your phone if possible.
