Former lawyers for the white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand seven years ago told a court on Tuesday that he showed signs of anxiety during his original trial but did not appear to be depressed, media reported.
Brenton Tarrant, 35, is seeking to overturn his conviction in the Court of Appeal in Wellington and be granted a new trial. He told the court via a video link on Monday that harsh prison conditions had affected his mental health at the time he pleaded guilty.
Tarrant, an Australian national, opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch in March 2019 during Friday prayers in the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand’s history. He used military-style semi-automatic weapons and livestreamed the killings on Facebook with a head-mounted camera.
Tarrant initially denied all charges and was preparing to stand trial but entered guilty pleas in 2020 to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act.