New Zealand Mosque Shooter Always Planned to Admit Crimes, Former Lawyers Tell Appeals Court
Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslims in New Zealand's deadliest mass shooting, always intended to admit to his crimes and was pleased to be charged with terrorism, his former lawyers have revealed during a crucial appeals court hearing. The 35-year-old Australian, sentenced to life without parole for the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, is now seeking to recant his 2020 guilty pleas, claiming prison conditions made him irrational and mentally unwell.
Appeals Court Considers Shooter's Bid to Withdraw Guilty Pleas
New Zealand's Court of Appeal in Wellington is conducting a five-day hearing to determine whether Tarrant was in a fit mental state when he pleaded guilty to terrorism, murder, and attempted murder charges. The three-judge panel must decide if his admissions should be discarded, which would send the case back to court for trial. Tarrant initially pleaded not guilty before reversing his position just before his trial was due to begin.
During Monday's proceedings, Tarrant claimed he felt forced into his admissions due to "nervous exhaustion" caused by constant solitary confinement, surveillance by prison staff, limited reading materials, and almost no contact with the outside world. He stated he had masked symptoms of serious mental illness to avoid appearing weak or reflecting poorly on others who shared his racist views.
Former Lawyers Dispute Tarrant's Claims About Mental State
On Tuesday, lawyers who represented Tarrant during both his not guilty and guilty plea periods testified that while they had filed complaints about his prison conditions early in his confinement, they didn't believe his environment had harmed his decision-making ability. They noted prison officials were dismissive of his grievances initially, but restrictions eased later.
Shane Tait, one of Tarrant's former attorneys, revealed his client had wanted to argue during a trial that he was defending New Zealand from immigrants. Tait assured Tarrant such a defense wasn't available under New Zealand law. "Brenton, what am I going to tell the jury if we go to trial?" Tait recalled asking. Tarrant responded, "Don't worry, it won't get that far."
Tarrant Specifically Wanted Terrorism Conviction
Both Tait and Tarrant's other former lawyer, Jonathan Hudson, emphasized it was crucial to their client that he be convicted on the terrorism charge. Tarrant refused to allow his attorneys to negotiate this charge away in exchange for guilty pleas to murder and attempted murder charges. "He wanted to be described as a terrorist," Hudson told the court.
The lawyers expressed certainty Tarrant always intended to plead guilty due to overwhelming evidence against him, including his Facebook livestream of the massacre and a racist manifesto posted online before the attack. Crown lawyers suggested Tarrant had numerous opportunities to raise mental health concerns or request a trial postponement, but no witness has supported his claim that conditions were so onerous he wasn't fit to plead guilty.
Victims Express Anger and Exasperation
The hearing marked the first time in years Tarrant had been seen or heard in court, appearing via video conference from prison looking pale and thin with a shaved head and black-framed glasses. Some bereaved or injured by his violence watched proceedings from a Christchurch courtroom, expressing frustration that he continues revisiting his case.
"There's definitely no remorse at all," said Rashid Omar, whose son Tariq was murdered, adding the proceedings seemed like a game to Tarrant. "We are very, very strong. We're not going to be bullied by him."
Appeal Outcome Expected Later
Tarrant filed his appeal documents in 2022, two years after the 20-working-day deadline for such bids in New Zealand. He claimed the delay resulted from lacking access to required information. The judges will release their decision at a later date. If they reject Tarrant's attempt to discard his guilty pleas, a subsequent hearing will focus on his bid to appeal his sentence.
