The Utah man accused of murdering Charlie Kirk made a series of upsetting remarks about the late conservative and his family as well as his own mental health and loved ones during his first in-person court hearing.
Tyler Robinson, 22, told attorney Kathryn Nester ‘I think about the shooting daily. Every morning… all the time,’ forensic lip reading expert Nicola Hickling revealed after watching footage filmed at Thursday’s proceedings in Provo, Utah.
‘So he had a wife,’ Robinson was then filmed saying, in reference to 31-year-old Kirk’s widow Erika, 37.
Hickling, who runs LipReader, told the Daily Mail that Robinson’s ‘reflections turned inward’ and that he ‘gestured lightly, as if trying to express exhaustion.’
Nester’s responses to Robinson, accused of shooting Kirk dead in Orem, Utah, in September, were not visible.
But Robinson continued to bare his soul to her.
‘Just smoking a lot… not sleeping at night… It’s driving me mental.’ He then said, according to Hickling. ‘Unfortunately, it’s doing my head in. I’m not good for anything.’
Next, Robinson began speaking about his mother Amber Robinson.
Tyler Robinson, pictured in court on Thursday beside lawyer Kathryn Nester, spoke about Charlie Kirk, Kirk’s widow Erika and his own family, a lipreader told the Daily Mail
Kirk is seen a few moments before he was shot dead at Utah Valley University in September
‘My mother goes away to see friends, to be away from the media which I think makes sense.’
After another back and forth, he then said: ‘What I would like to do is make it as easy as possible by answering all of their questions so there is no comeback.’
It is unclear what ‘comeback’ Robinson was referring to.
He and Nester then discussed procedural issues which offered no further insight into the shooting, Robinson’s state of mind, or his questions about Charlie and Erika Kirk.
Thursday’s appearance was the first time Robinson was seen in person after making previous court appearances via video or audio feed from jail.
As he entered the courtroom he smiled at the people sitting in a row reserved for family, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue.
Robinson’s father Matt was the one who handed him into authorities after recognizing his son in surveillance footage shared from the assassination that shocked the world.
Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff´s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom.
Kirk was fatally shot in front of a crowd of hundreds of people on September 10 in Utah, he is seen here with his widow Erika in an undated picture
It was the first time Robinson was seen in person after making previous court appearances via video or audio feed from jail
Shortly after proceedings started, Judge Graf ordered all press and public to leave the room.
The defense asked the judge to allow Robinson’s parents to stay, which was quickly denied.
Graf has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn ‘extraordinary’ public attention.
The judge held a closed hearing on October 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson’s courtroom attire and security protocols.
Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, the suspect is allowed to wear street clothes in court during his pretrial hearings but must be restrained for security.
Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing his restraints after his attorneys argued images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice jurors.
Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.
The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations.
Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.
Kirk is seen here alongside his widow Erika and their two children. His wife has called for full transparency concerning Robinson’s trial
Robinson is seen here alongside his parents Amber and Matt Robinson in a post shared to social media
Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court ‘safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process’ while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings.
Kirk was fatally shot in front of a crowd of hundreds of people on September 10 at a debate organized by his conservative movement Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University in Orem.
His widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying: ‘We deserve to have cameras in there.’
Erika is now a single parent to the three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son she had with Kirk.
She has taken over the running of Turning Point USA and vowed to continue her late husband’s work.
Robinson first appeared before the court system in September in the week after Kirk’s assassination.
He appeared disheveled and expressionless as the judge read out the charges against him which include capital murder.
Authorities say Robinson held a ‘leftist ideology’ and may have been ‘radicalized’ online before he was arrested for killing the MAGA influencer.
SOURCE : DAILY MAIL
