Christchurch mosque shooting: $ 340,000 bill to sentence gunman Brenton Tarrant

The cost of sentencing the gunman at the Brenton Tarrant mosque in Christchurch has reached more than $ 340,000.

The 29-year-old Australian terrorist was jailed for life without parole in August for murdering 51 Muslims in two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019.

The New Zealand Defense Force has already revealed that it cost $ 39,321 to transport Tarrant in a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules from Auckland to Christchurch.

Today, the Department of Corrections has revealed that it cost them $ 150,000 more to transport the killer to and from his sentence.

Feroz Ditta, wounded after being shot twice at Masjid Al Noor, said the costs were “unavoidable and unfortunate”.

“They are costs that were necessary for the transportation and the security that surrounds it,” he said.

“But the cost to the victims themselves is ongoing and cannot be quantified in dollars and cents.”

Corrections was the main agency to guarantee the “security and protection of the terrorist and the personnel”, both of Corrections and other agencies, who were responsible for managing it during the intense four-day sentencing hearing in late August.

The officials were also responsible for managing the security operation involved in escorting the killer from Auckland to Christchurch, and vice versa.

Corrections says the $ 150,000 figure includes staff costs (including overtime and allowances), staff accommodation, car and gas rentals, and other expenses related to “operationally sensitive issues, which we decline to detail. for security reasons”.

“The sentencing of the Christchurch terrorist was a significant operation for Corrections in terms of ensuring that he was handled safely during his sentencing,” Corrections said today.

“Corrections played a key role as part of a multi-agency operation in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Police.”

Corrections says that $ 150,704.30 is the total cost of Corrections as of October 8.

However, they may receive more bills in the future, including the likely cancellation fee for a motel used to house staff.

“The fee was incurred as a result of the prisoner’s trial scheduling and then canceled as a result of his guilty plea, resulting in amendments to the motel reservation,” says Corrections.

“The amount of this fee is in dispute, which means Corrections does not currently have a figure for this cost.”

Meanwhile, figures released by the police reveal that the costs to ensure the safety of the public and victims during sentencing were nearly $ 150,000.

It costs $ 143,569, excluding staff salaries, Stuff reported.

Traffic control cost $ 38,323, food for officers was $ 26,454, and $ 24,100 was spent on private security guards.

Another $ 21,328 was spent on travel, $ 13,590 on accommodation and $ 10,650 on a helicopter, as well as $ 6,000 on St John’s paramedics and $ 3123 on equipment.

On March 15, 2019, Tarrant stormed two mosques in Christchurch, shooting indiscriminately at worshipers attending Friday prayers.

He initially pleaded not guilty to his crime, but later changed his mind and admitted 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one of participation in a terrorist act, established in the 2002 Repression of Terrorism Act.