New Zealand's Court of Appeal has dismissed an application by Brenton Tarrant, the Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 worshippers in the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, to withdraw his guilty pleas. Tarrant had argued that harsh prison conditions, including solitary confinement, caused 'nervous exhaustion' and rendered him incapable of making rational decisions when he pleaded guilty in March 2020.
The 35-year-old, who is serving a life sentence without parole, claimed his mental health deteriorated due to limited reading material and minimal contact with other prisoners. He said he felt he had 'little else I could do' but admit to the crimes just months before his trial was due to begin. However, Crown lawyer Barnaby Hawes countered that there was scant evidence of a serious mental crisis and noted Tarrant could have sought a trial delay or defended himself.
In its ruling, the court found that Tarrant had not established that his guilty pleas were entered while he was incapable of making rational decisions. The judges noted that Tarrant had access to legal advice and had made a calculated decision to plead guilty. The application to vacate the pleas was therefore rejected.
The court also considered whether Tarrant's appeal against his convictions and sentence could proceed, given it was filed outside the statutory time limit. A further hearing on the sentence appeal is expected later this year. Security was tight at the hearing, with victims' families watching via a delayed broadcast in Christchurch.
Aya Al-Umari, whose brother Hussein was killed in the attack, described the proceedings as reopening old wounds. The 2019 attacks led to a ban on military-style semi-automatic rifles and a firearms registry in New Zealand. A coronial inquiry into the attacks is still ongoing.
