Australian Shooter’s Appeal Denied in New Zealand Mosque Case

Brenton Tarrant, an Australian national, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2020, to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist attack over the 2019 shootings at two Christchurch mosques. He was sentenced in August that year to life imprisonment without parole.

The Court of Appeal denied Tarrant’s appeal in November 2022, ruling his attempt to overturn guilty pleas for New Zealand’s deadliest mass shooting was “utterly devoid of merit”. The court found Tarrant’s account inconsistent and contradicted by prison records, mental health assessments and evidence from his former trial lawyers.

Tarrant’s lawyers argued that their client did not appear depressed during the original proceedings but showed signs of anxiety. However, the Court of Appeal said Tarrant was not suffering from mental incapacity when he pleaded guilty and was not coerced or pressured into doing so.

After a February hearing, Tarrant tried to abandon his appeal against his conviction, which the court refused to allow citing significant public interest. The Court also allowed the abandonment of his sentence appeal, stating that society’s interests, particularly those of the victims, favoured refusing more time for an appeal. This ends the appeal process.