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\nFifty-one people were killed in two attacks on mosques in Christchurch in 2019.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Nathan Mckinnon\n<\/p>\n
The Christchurch terrorist made almost 700 complaints about life behind bars but his claims of torturous prison conditions are exaggerated, a court has heard.<\/p>\n
Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant made the 686 complaints from 16 March 2019 until September 2024, amounting to more than one complaint every three days.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old is serving a life sentence without parole for the 2019 shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre but now wants the Court of Appeal to overturn his convictions and sentence.<\/p>\n
The terrorist claims he was “forced” to plead guilty to 92 charges because he was irrational as a result of torturous and inhumane prison conditions.<\/p>\n
The white supremacist left 51 people dead or dying in little over 15 minutes after taking an arsenal of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and incendiary devices to the mosques as worshippers marked Jumu’ah – the most significant prayer of the Muslim week – and opening fire.<\/p>\n
The terrorist initially pleaded not guilty in June 2019 to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of committing terrorism.<\/p>\n
The court has heard he wavered in late July 2019 and prepared to plead guilty before again changing his mind only days later.<\/p>\n
In March 2020 he formally pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for life without the possibility of parole in August 2020.<\/p>\n
The terrorist had 20 working days to file an appeal against his conviction or sentence but the “out of time” application came years later.<\/p>\n
Crown solicitor Andrea Ewing told the court only four of the terrorist’s 686 complaints related to accessing a lawyer.<\/p>\n
She said the terrorist had claimed a complaint was upheld in relation to some kind of physical incident.<\/p>\n
“So what we have is a hearsay assertion from Mr Tarrant to his expert that a complaint was upheld,” she said.<\/p>\n
The Crown called on the court to dismiss the terrorist’s application for leave to appeal.<\/p>\n
Crown solicitor Madeleine Laracy said there was no possible risk of a miscarriage because the terrorist had no legal defence to offer a trial and conviction was certain.<\/p>\n
She also called on the court to provide finality for his victims, New Zealand’s Muslim community and the wider public.<\/p>\n
“There are literally hundreds of directly harmed victims in this case and keeping this case alive is source of immense distress for those individuals,” Laracy said.<\/p>\n
The terrorist’s lawyers reiterated the conditions their client was confined in were unlike anything else present in the prison system.<\/p>\n
Justices Christine French, Susan Thomas and David Collins reserved their decision.<\/p>\n