NZ Court Weighs Reversing Christchurch Mosque Shooter's Guilty Pleas
A three-judge Court of Appeal in Wellington heard Crown arguments opposing Brenton Tarrant’s bid to discard his 2020 guilty pleas to terrorism, murder and attempted murder, a move that would send the case back to trial. Tarrant contends his admissions were made during an irrational, solitary-prison breakdown, but prosecutors say there is no evidence of serious mental illness and the guilty pleas were supported by overwhelming evidence, including video livestreams. If the appeal fails, the case remains a life sentence with no parole and could proceed to later reviews; the hearing was unusually subdued and largely shielded from public exposure, with a ruling expected later.
