Overview
- The Crown told the Court of Appeal there was a certainty of conviction whether or not Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty, calling his appeal lacking in merit.
- Prosecutors cited contemporaneous clinical records, including assessments before sentencing, that found him fit to plead and showed no psychosis or sustained disorder.
- Defense counsel argued extreme isolation in Auckland Prison’s PERU caused a complete loss of identity and an irrational decision to plead in hopes of easing restrictions.
- Forensic psychologist James Ogloff questioned a later report supportive of Tarrant’s claims, suggesting Tarrant exaggerated distress and that conditions did not amount to torture.
- The court heard Tarrant vacillated on pleas in 2019 before pleading guilty in March 2020 and that he later lodged hundreds of prison complaints, with judges now weighing whether to order a trial or proceed to a sentence appeal.