White supremacist Philip Arps was draped in a New Zealand flag, unvaccinated and refusing a mask when he appeared at the Christchurch District Court to defend accusations that followed his prison release.
He also refused to undergo a rapid antigen test and when a probation officer expressed concerns as the judge-alone trial began, she was allowed to give her evidence from behind a screen.
The trial before Judge Kevin Phillips was expected to take all day to hear evidence on four charges.