A Bay of Plenty man charged with threatening to kill Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was handcuffed and dragged into the dock at the Tauranga District Court today after he refused to move beyond the public gallery.

Richard Trevor Sivell​, 39, of Te Ranga near Te Puke, was appearing on three charges, including threatening to kill Ardern between November 26 last year and January 19 this year.

He is also charged with obstructing a police officer, and failing to assist an officer exercising a search, relating to his arrest on March 29.

Before his appearance, Sivell, carrying a tattered Bible and wearing shorts and jandals, presented a one-page document which he called a 'counter claim” at the court office.

He then sat in the back of courtroom one, maskless, and refused to stand when Judge Thomas Ingram entered the courtroom.

When his name was called, he said: 'I believe you are referring to me” but said he wanted to be referred to as Richard, not by his surname. Judge Ingram refused, saying he would use his surname.

When Sivell said he would not go beyond the public gallery, two police officers and a court security officer forcibly moved him the 10m or so to the dock, at one stage carrying him by his arms and legs. When he continued to resist he was pinned to the ground and handcuffed.

As this was happening, he accused police of assaulting him.

'I'm a man of peace, stop assaulting me, I haven't done anything, I haven't broken the law. You guys are traumatising me again,” Sivell said.

When he was finally in the dock, breathless and obviously disturbed, Judge Ingram asked him if he wanted a couple of minutes to 'catch your breath.

'I appreciate this is not a lot of fun for you,” the judge said. 'You certainly will be somewhat traumatised ... by what's occurred.”

Sivell asked the judge if he had received 'the data”.

'I've seen a piece of paper from you, yes,” Judge Ingram said.

Sivell: 'Without receiving the data we can't proceed, your honour.”

Judge Ingram: 'You can parrot that as much as you want Mr Sivell, but I'm going to proceed with the matter on the basis that the law of the land applies to you as it applies to everybody else.”

Sivell was stood down in custody for about half an hour, during which time he spoke to a duty solicitor.

When he reappeared, he refused to answer questions from the judge, including whether he wanted legal representation.

'I'm a man of peace, I'm here under duress. I've been assaulted and kidnapped,” he said.

Judge Ingram said if he refused to enter a plea the court would enter not guilty pleas on his behalf 'and the matter will follow the process set out in legislation”.

In the meantime Judge Ingram said, he would adjourn the case for two weeks. He remanded Sivell on bail, on the condition he not contact Ardern, not use or threaten violence against anyone and not use a device capable of accessing the internet.

He also suppressed details of the summary of facts on the threatening to kill charge.

-Stuff/Tony Wall.