The Australian man who killed 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019 deployed his shooting range to maximize casualties, a prosecutor said at the start of the sentencing hearing on Monday.
Brenton Tarrant, a confident white supremacist, has pleaded guilty to 51 murder charges, 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act in relation to the victim in the southern city of Christchurch, which he streamed live on Facebook.
The 29-year-old is serving a life sentence, possibly without leave, when he is sentenced later this week.
Handcuffed and clad in gray prison clothes, Tarrant sat impassively, looking directly at survivors and family members of those who died and talking about how their lives were affected by the murder.
Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said Tarrant told police after his arrest that he wanted to create fear among the Muslim population.
“He intended to instill fear in those he described as invaders, including the Muslim population as more generally non-European immigrants,” Hawes said.
Tarrant also regretted not taking any more lives and had plans to burn down the mosques, Hawes said.
Maysoon Salama, mother of 33-year-old Atta Elayyan, who was shot dead while praying at the back of the mosque, said she was constantly wondering what her son thought in his last moments “armed only with his courage “.
Elayyan was a goalkeeper for the New Zealand futsal team.
“I can not forgive you …” she said. “You gave yourself the authority to take the souls of 51 poeple. Our only crime in your eyes is that we are Muslims.”
Gamal Fouda, imam of the Al Noor mosque, told Tarrant that he was “wronged and abused”.
“I can say to the family of the terrorist that they have lost a son and that we have also lost a lot from our community,” Fouda said.
“I respect them because they suffer as we are.”
While most of Tarrant’s victims were at the Al Noor mosque, he attacked a second mosque before being apprehended on his way to a third.
The attacks caused a worldwide outcry of grief, as well as a ban on weapons and closer scrutiny of online platforms.
Families to appeal to court
Security was tight outside the courthouse, with police dogs patrolling the streets and snipers on rooftops, television photography shows.
Supreme Court Justice Cameron Mander said he received more than 200 statements for victim impact, along with proposals from various organizations.
“I read them all,” said Mander, who added that he would not convict Tarrant for Thursday morning after survivors and relatives of victims had a chance to speak in court.
Many of the people who will be victims of impact have traveled abroad for sentencing, and have been quarantined for two weeks so they can participate.
The court in New Zealand begins today the arrest of the mosque terrorist of Christchurch (who killed 51 people while praying) today.
Kia Kaha all my Kiwi friends and family. And to my Muslim brothers and sisters in Christchurch:
This does not allow you to configure your user account– Susan Carland (@SusanCarland) August 24, 2020
Thinking of the victims of the Christchurch shooter, their families, and the Muslim community in New Zealand. Today must be a harrowing day for them.
– Nina Obermaier (@NinaObermaierEU) August 24, 2020
Due to coronavirus limitations, hundreds will have to observe more physical distance as they view proceedings via live feeds to seven courtrooms in Christchurch. Others have been given permission to check out the hearings online, all of them part of a massive logistical exercise involving the live translation of procedures into eight languages to meet the diversity of the Muslim community.
Live reporting from the courtroom is prohibited, and other restrictions are placed on what the media may report.
A murder sentence carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The judge can impose a life sentence without parole, a sentence that has never been used in New Zealand.
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