Tarrant faces unprecedented sentence over Christchurch attack

Brenton Tarrant, the man who killed 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019, faces life in prison, possibly without parole - a sentence never before imposed in New Zealand.

The Australian, who has pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 attempted murders and one charge of terrorism, has begun his sentencing hearing in which it has been revealed that he had plans to target a third mosque in an attempt to ‘inflict as many fatalities as possible’. He reportedly planned to target the Ashburton Mosque in addition to the Al Noor mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, but was detained while on his way to the third mosque.

In March last year, Tarrant open fired at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. He first drove to the Al Noor mosque, firing on people taking part in Friday prayers, before driving approximately 5km (3 miles) to the Linwood mosque where he killed more people.

According to Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes, Tarrant began gathering information about mosques in New Zealand years before - studying floor plans, locations and further details - with the aim of targeting them at the time they would be busiest. In the months before the attack, he travelled to Christchurch and flew a drone over his primary target, the Al Noor mosque.

Tarrant is representing himself in court. He had previously denied the charges and was due to face trial in June, but reversed his plea. He faces a minimum sentence of 17 years, but could be handed a full life term with no parole - a sentence never before imposed in New Zealand.