August 27, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Australian Brenton Tarrant, a white supremacist, who admitted to the killing of 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand was trialed attempted murder of another 40 people and one charge of terrorism. On the last day of a four-day sentencing hearing, Judge Cameron Mander in a Christchurch court on August 27 spent an hour reminding Tarrant of each person he killed and injured. The judge called Tarrant's actions inhuman showing no mercy and declared to serve life in jail without parole. Tarrant is the first person in New Zealand's history to receive the sentence.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised those who had given victim impact statements at Brenton Tarrant's sentencing hearing. The Prime Minister also shared a few words hoping for continued empathy and solace for the Muslim community as the gunman behind the March 15 terror attack would learn his fate.

The father whose 14-year-old son Sayyad was shot in the head while praying at Al-Noor mosque on March 15, 2019, pleaded the judge to send Tarrant home to Australia, which would have to depend on an ad-hoc arrangement made between Australian and New Zealand governments.

Photo:Webshot.