Survivors stare down mosque massacre terrorist Brenton Tarrant

Brave survivors of the Christchurch massacre have been readying themselves for the moment when they could finally stare down Brenton Tarrant.

Massacre survivor Alen Alsati, 5, gives a thumbs-up as she arrives at the High Court in Christchurch. Picture: AAP

Brave survivors of the Christchurch massacre have been readying themselves for the past 17 months for the moment when they could finally stare down Brenton Tarrant — the terrorist who executed their innocent loved ones as they peacefully ­worshipped.

For many of the those who ­attended the city’s High Court on Monday for the sentencing hearing of Tarrant, the last time they had come within metres of the mass murderer was on March 15, 2019, when the Australian rampaged through two mosques with semiautomatic weapons, killing 51 people and seriously wounding dozens more.

In a sometimes-faltering voice, crown prosecutor Philip Hall QC replayed the timeline of Tarrant’s murderous spree in forensic, ­moment-by-moment detail. “The defendant stated (to police) that he wanted to have shot more ­people than he did,” Mr Hall said.

Dozens of grieving family members were in the same courtroom as Tarrant, but such was the demand by relatives and friends of the victims that seven other courtrooms were made available to view proceedings via videolink, and a further 300 people in 15 different countries were permitted to view the hearing via live stream.

A shackled Tarrant, 29, dressed in olive-coloured prison garb and surrounded by security guards, looked gaunt and remained passive during Mr Hall’s address.

Yet when it came time for family members to read their victim impact statements to the court, they spoke directly to Tarrant.

“You transgress beyond comprehension, I cannot forgive you,” said Maysoon Salama, whose son Atta Elayyan was killed.

“You gave yourself the authority to take the souls of 51 innocent people, their only crime — in your eyes — being Muslims.”

Ms Salama told Tarrant he had not achieved his self-appointed mission to undermine New Zealand’s small, tight-knit Muslim community. “You thought you could break us, you failed miserably,” she said. “We became more determined to hold tight to Islam and our beloved ones are martyrs.”

Survivor Khaled Alnobani defiantly confronts Tarrant. Picture: AAP

Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani echoed the sentiment, and while angrily pointing at Tarrant, seated just metres away, defiantly declared: “We have become more united. Thank you for that.”

Alen Alsati was also defiant, in the way of a five-year-old girl. Alen, who was four when she was shot three times alongside her ­father Wasseim in the Al Noor mosque, arrived at the High Court on Monday in a wheelchair, giving the waiting media a determined “thumbs-up” and a broad smile.

Alen suffered some brain damage as a result of the attack, but she has regained some of her lost eyesight, and her speech is improving.

Her father is also still recovering from his injuries.

Janna Ezat, whose son Hussein al-Umari was killed as he tried to rush the shooter, said she made a decision not to hate Tarrant.

“I decided to forgive you Mr Tarrant because I don’t have hate … If we are able to forgive, we forgive,” she said. “The damage was done and Hussein will never be here but I have only one choice and that is to forgive you.”

Mariam Gul, whose parents and sister were murdered, said Tarrant needed to educate himself and acknowledge that Islam was a religion of peace. “This realisation can come if he independently studies Islam,” she said.

The court heard of evidence of children shot in cold blood and the wounded callously gunned down while calling for help as Tarrant ran amok in the mosques, creating what some described as a war zone.

Brenton Tarrant in the courtroom. Picture: Getty Images

Some survivors talked about suffering permanent disability and mental anguish that remained fresh more than a year after the atrocity. “I see the images and hear the constant sound rata-rata-rata — the sound of the gun shooting in my head,” said Abdiaziz Ali Jama, a 44-year-old Somali refugee.

“I see a lot of dead people. I have been frightened, I talk constantly at night. I hear noise and go outside sometimes to look for the shooter. I will never forget what I saw that day.”

The court also heard tragic details of the last moments of Tarrant’s youngest victim, three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim. He had his little arms wrapped around his ­father’s leg when Tarrant fixed his gaze on the terrified child inside the Al Noor mosque, pointed his automatic rifle directly at him and fired two shots.

The prosecutor gave further insight into Tarrant’s motivation.

“In his interview, the defendant referred to his attacks as ‘terror attacks’. He further stated the attacks were motivated by his ideological beliefs and he intended to instil fear into those he described as ‘invaders’, including the Muslim population or more generally non-European immigrants,” Mr Hall said.

Tarrant, who grew up in NSW, will be sentenced this week for his crimes, having pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism after storming into two mosques in Christchurch, with the rampage ending when police stopped him as he travelled to a third.

Lawyers expect Tarrant to be the first person jailed for life without parole in New Zealand.

AFP