The white supremacist terrorist behind the tragic Christchurch mosque attacks now claims that any remorse he previously expressed was a result of the irrationality induced by his prison conditions.
Brenton Tarrant, an Australian, is currently serving a life sentence without parole for the horrific terror attack that took place on March 15, 2019.
During a hearing at the Court of Appeal in Wellington, Tarrant made his first public comments about the shootings, stating that he was irrational when he entered his guilty pleas and was coerced into confessing.
He also mentioned joking about blaming US President Donald Trump for the massacre in court.
In March 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one terrorism charge at the High Court. However, he is now seeking to retract his guilty pleas.
Prior to his sentencing in August 2020, Tarrant had shown some remorse for his actions to a report writer. But he now claims that his expression of remorse was a result of the isolation and poor mental state induced by his imprisonment.
The terrorist, who is currently held in a high-security unit at Auckland Prison, stated that his decision to plead guilty was influenced by his mental state at the time and the conditions of his confinement.
Psychological assessments conducted before his sentencing found Tarrant fit to stand trial and fit to enter his guilty pleas.
The hearing at the Court of Appeal is expected to last for five days, with further witnesses scheduled to give evidence.
Key Points:
- Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch mosque attacker, claims his remorse was induced by his prison conditions.
- He is seeking to overturn his guilty pleas for the 2019 terror attack.
- Psychological assessments found him fit to stand trial.
- The hearing at the Court of Appeal is set to continue for five days.
