The man who killed 51 people in the Christchurch mosque attacks has appeared in New Zealand’s Court of Appeal as he tries to take back the guilty pleas that led to his convictions and a life sentence without parole.
Australian national Brenton Tarrant appeared by video link from prison on Monday as a three judge panel began hearing his bid to overturn the pleas he entered in 2020 after first denying the charges.
He pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of terrorism.
Tarrant told the court his mental health got worse in custody. He said he was not thinking clearly when he decided to plead guilty.
He said harsh prison conditions left him in what he described as nervous exhaustion. He argued this meant his pleas were not voluntary. The hearing is set down for five days in Wellington.
His legal team is also challenging his sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole that sentence was imposed in 2020.
It was the first such sentence handed down in New Zealand. The Court of Appeal will first consider whether it should allow his challenge to the guilty pleas to proceed.
This includes issues around timing after his appeal was filed late. If the court agrees the pleas should be set aside, the case could be sent back to the High Court for a trial.
Crown lawyers have pushed back. They argue there is no clear evidence he was suffering from a severe mental illness at the time. They also say he had access to legal advice and other options besides pleading guilty.
They say the court should be cautious about reopening convictions in a case that was resolved through an extensive sentencing process.
Some victims’ families attended the hearing while others watched proceedings that were subject to tight security and broadcasting restrictions.
The appeal has drawn criticism from survivors and relatives who say it forces them to relive the attacks. A decision is expected at a later date.
