'Your actions were inhumane': Christchurch mosque gunman sentenced to life without parole

Christchurch: The gunman who shot and killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15 last year has been jailed for the rest of his natural life.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, 29, was sentenced at the High Court in Christchurch on Thursday to life without the possibility of parole on 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act.

It is the first time this sentence has been handed down in New Zealand. Tarrant, through Crown-appointed counsel Pip Hall, QC, did not oppose life without parole.

In handing down the sentence, Justice Cameron Mander said there was no minimum period of imprisonment to sufficiently denounce this crime.

"Your crimes are so wicked that, even if you are detained until you die, it would not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation."

The killings were "brutal and beyond callous", he said.

"Your actions were inhumane ... You showed no mercy. You are not only a murderer, but a terrorist. You sought to essentially attack New Zealand's way of life.

"You deliberately killed a three-year-old infant as he clung to the leg of his father."

Mander earlier asked the gunman if he wished to address the court before the sentence was imposed.

"No, thank you," he answered in an even and formal tone. He seemed sure of his answer and remained expressionless during his interaction with the judge.

The faces of the 51 people killed in the mosque terror attack in Christchurch on March 15, 2019. Credit: Stuff

As Mander started his sentencing, Tarrant sat with his right foot resting on his knee, his arms resting on his legs. He continuously tapped with his finger on the small table in front of him, listening intently to the judge's words. His face remained expressionless as the judge described how he had callously and brutally killed and injured his numerous victims.

In his lengthy sentencing, Mander named every one of the terrorist's victims, explaining the impact their deaths had on their families.

He described the extreme loss and devastation felt by their spouses and children, and how the families were left bereft and broken after the attacks. He then named every one of the 40 people who were shot by the gunman, but survived.

He described how many had suffered physical injuries that caused irreparable damage and would continue to cause them pain, difficulties and health problems for the rest of their lives. None of the judge's poignant and emotive words could elicit a reaction from the defendant.

"Finally justice has been served," said Hina Amir, on the phone from her living room a few suburbs away from the street front of Al Noor mosque where her and husband Amir Daud survived a hail of Tarrant's bullets in their car.

Together on their lounge they watched a livestream of three emotional days of sentencing proceedings, as other survivors and relatives confronted Tarrant directly in court and asked he never be released.

"It's a relief," said Amir, 34. "You feel angry, anxious, mixed with a feeling that this guy maybe - maybe - he's regretting his actions, which we can't guess because he was so emotionless," she said.

Also on Amir's mind this week was Tarrant's mother.

"She's a mother," she said. "Whatever your kid will do, he is your child. That is a kind of a feeling I've had for the last three days."

Outside the courthouse, the sentence was greeted with cheers.

Mosque shooting survivor Abdul Aziz is held aloft as he thanks supporters outside the Christchurch High Court after Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life without parole.Credit: AP

Abdul Alabi Lateef, imam of the second mosque that Tarrant attacked said justice had been done. Gamal Fouda, imam of Al Noor mosque, where 44 people were slain, said no punishment would bring lost loved ones back.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said all Australians were "horrified and devastated" by Tarrant's "despicable act".

In a Facebook post, Morrison also said, "Justice today was delivered to the terrorist and murderer for his cowardly and horrific crimes in Christchurch. It is right that we will never see or hear from him ever again.

"New Zealand is family to us. Today we send our love across 'the ditch'."

The March 15 attack

On March 15, 2019, Tarrant carried out mass shootings at the Masjid An-Nur (Al Noor) and Linwood mosques after spending months planning the attack. He bought military-style ballistic armour and tactical vests to enable him to carry numerous magazines and wore this over military-style camouflage clothing.

He went to several rifle clubs and practised with different firearms. He modified the triggers of his military-style semi-automatics rifles to fire faster.

He planned his attack down to the finest details, timing his entry into the mosques when the maximum number of worshippers would be present, and anticipating the time needed to carry out the attacks and travel between the mosques.

The terrorist planned to attack the Ashburton Mosque after leaving Linwood but was arrested on the way.

He initially pleaded not guilty to his crimes and was set to go to trial, but made a surprise turnaround in March, entering guilty pleas to all charges.

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said the gunman was undoubtedly "New Zealand's worst murderer". The enormity of the offending was without comparison in the country's criminal history, he said, and undoubtedly the type of case envisaged when a law allowing criminals to be locked up for life was created in 2010.

The gunman had meticulously planned and prepared for his attack with the aim of executing as many people as possible, Zarifeh said.

"He caused permanent and irreparably damage to the victims, their families, the Muslim community and the whole of New Zealand," he said.

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh at the sentencing hearing for Christchurch mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images

Zarifeh said both a psychologist and psychiatrist reported the offender showed no remorse for his actions. In a recent interaction, the gunman claimed he did have remorse for what he had done, but the psychiatrist said the "depth of sincerity" of these claims was difficult to gauge and questionable.

A lack of willingness to rehabilitate, and the shooter's narcissistic and misguided beliefs in his ability to self-diagnose and lack of insight to his offending, were proof of his significant risk of further offending.

There were no mitigating factors to be considered, Zarifeh said. The gunman's guilty plea and his lack of previous convictions were not enough to divert from a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant stands in the dock at the Christchurch High Court.Credit: AP

The attacks prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook.

Earlier, relatives and victims of the shootings and supporters gathered outside court in Christchurch, hugging, singing and exchanging flowers.

Student Volunteer Army chief executive Sam Johnson said about 50 people were there to show "Aroha and support" as victims left court.

The Student Volunteer Army members sing outside court in support of victims as Christchurch mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant is sentenced. Credit: Chris Skelton/Stuff

A guitarist played outside while some victims watched from the windows above.

"After the attack, there was a massive outpouring of grief, beds of flowers," Johnson said.

"Now [the victims] have shown such amazing stoicism. So last night they put a call out for people to gather and 'do something nice'."

One of the shooting victims, Wasseim Alsati, went out to acknowledge the supporters. "Love you all!" he shouted.

Mosque shooting victim Wasseim Alsati thanks supporters outside court in Christchurch on Thursday. "Love you all," he said.Credit: Chris Skelton/Stuff

Ahead of sentencing, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called on New Zealanders to "continue to show all of the empathy and solace that our Muslim community deserve".

Nothing would "remove what happened that day," she said.
Stuff.co.nz, with Reuters

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