Christchurch mosque gunman jailed 'until his last gasp'

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[–]FediNetizen 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I wish the absolute worst upon everyone who took part in that horrendous act. A simple death is too good for them.

[–]Nemacolin[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Gosh I hope he lives a long time with some awful disease.

The gunman who shot and killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15 last year has been jailed for the rest of his natural life.

Australian national Brenton Tarrant, 29, was sentenced at the High Court in Christchurch on Thursday to life without the possibility of parole on 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act.

It is the first time this sentence has been handed down in New Zealand. Tarrant, through Crown-appointed counsel Pip Hall QC, did not oppose life without parole.

In handing down the sentence, Justice Cameron Mander said there was no minimum period of imprisonment to sufficiently denounce this crime.

“Your crimes are so wicked that even if you are detained until you die, it would not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation.”

The killings were “brutal and beyond callous”.

“Your actions were inhumane ... You showed no mercy. You are not only a murderer, but a terrorist. You sought to essentially attack New Zealand’s way of life.”

Justice Mander earlier asked the gunman if he wished to address the court before sentence was imposed. “No, thank you,” he answered in an even and formal tone. He seemed sure of his answer and remained expressionless during his interaction with the judge.

As Justice Mander started his sentencing, the gunman sat with his right foot resting on his knee, his arms comfortably resting on his legs. He continuously tapped with his finger on the small table in front of him, listening intently to the judge’s words. His face remained expressionless as the judge described how he had callously and brutally killed and injured his numerous victims.

In his lengthy sentencing, Justice Mander named every single of the terrorist’s victims. He went through the names of all the people who were killed by the terrorist, explaining the impact their deaths had on their families.

He described the extreme loss and devastation felt by their spouses and children, and the families had been left bereft and broken after the attacks. He then named every one of the 40 people who were shot by the gunman, but survived.

He described how many had suffered physical injuries that caused irreparable damage and will continue to cause them pain, difficulty and health problems for the rest of their lives. None of the judge’s poignant and emotive words could elicit a reaction from the defendant.