Brenton Tarrant, the man responsible for the 2019 mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea. Tarrant, who admitted to killing 51 people in what was New Zealand’s deadliest shooting, claims he was not fit to plead to charges of terrorism, murder, and attempted murder at the time of his admission.
A panel of three judges at the Court of Appeal in Wellington is hearing evidence over five days regarding Tarrant’s assertions. He argues that harsh prison conditions led to “irrationality” and ultimately forced him to confess to the crimes. If successful, his case would return to trial, which had been averted when he pleaded guilty in March 2020.
Tarrant, who livestreamed the attack on Facebook, meticulously planned the massacre, amassing a cache of semiautomatic weapons and preparing a manifesto filled with hate. The attack on March 15, 2019, took a devastating toll, claiming 51 lives, including that of a three-year-old boy, while injuring dozens more. It remains one of New Zealand’s darkest moments, prompting legal measures to suppress the dissemination of Tarrant’s ideology.
During the hearing, held under stringent security measures, Tarrant participated via video from Auckland Prison. Dressed in a white shirt and black-rimmed glasses, Tarrant addressed questions about his mental health, stating that conditions in solitary confinement had severely affected him. He described experiencing “nervous exhaustion” and uncertainty regarding his identity and beliefs prior to his guilty plea.
Tarrant explained that he felt he had “little else” he could do when he admitted to the crimes, but Crown lawyer Barnaby Hawes countered, suggesting there were other options available. Hawes highlighted that Tarrant could have requested a delay for mental health reasons or proceeded to trial with a defense.
Tarrant claimed that signs of his mental state had not been documented adequately, revealing he had attempted to mask these issues while in custody. He stated, “I was definitely doing everything possible to come across as confident, assured, mentally well.” His defense attorneys have been granted name suppression due to safety concerns regarding their representation of him.
The appeal process in New Zealand typically requires submissions within 20 working days, but Tarrant’s attempt to appeal was filed nearly two years late in September 2022. He asserted that this delay was due to limited access to the necessary information to file his appeal.
As the hearing continues throughout the week, the judges are expected to announce their decision at a later date. Should they reject Tarrant’s attempt to withdraw his guilty pleas, a subsequent hearing will focus on his appeal against the life sentence he received without the possibility of parole—an unprecedented sentence in New Zealand history.
