Terrorist and mass murderer Brenton Tarrant arrived in Christchurch this afternoon under extremely tight security for the High Court sentencing, which starts tomorrow.
He was transported in an Airforce Hercules, which was met at Christchurch Airport by a police van under heavy armed guard. Once he was transferred to the van, it was escorted away in a police convoy of six unmarked cars and two police vehicles.
It’s been a year and a half since his hate-filled shooting spree in Al Noor and Linwood mosques that left 51 innocent people dead and 40 seriously injured. Sixty-six of his victims, and those bereaved by his crimes, are preparing to face him in court for the first time.
He fatally shot Aya Al-Umari’s older brother Hussein in Al Noor mosque, and she has struggled to write her victim impact statement that she will deliver tomorrow. “There are no words that can explain the atrocity of what we went through but it’s something that we have to do. The majority of it I'll be addressing the judge, and then right at the end I will be addressing the killer.”
Until now she has only seen the murderer on a video screen in court. “He was there in AVL [Audio-Visual Link]. It's like you feel like your guts will just drop to the floor and you just kind of pin yourself to the chair, and so I can only imagine how it will feel when he's physically there.”
Corrections is staying tight-lipped about Tarrant's management throughout the sentencing saying, “to provide any information would pose serious and significant risk to the secure management of this person, which would compromise the safety of our staff and the public.”
The court building and surrounding area have been elevated to a high threat level by police. “We're dealing with a terrorist and we're dealing with the actions of that terrorist, so we've got to make sure that all those people that are taking part in this justice process are safe and will be safe,” Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said.
Since the shootings, the safety of people as they pray at Al Noor mosque has been a priority for Aya Al-Umari. Her brother was shot there as he tried to save the lives of others. “What we have heard is that he did attempt to attack the killer,” she said.
His bravery prompted her to volunteer as a security guard for the Muslim community. “It just felt like the right thing to do and I absolutely take inspiration from my brother. I want to live his legacy as well by protecting people.”
The sentencing is expected to run for four days.
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