Man accused of Christchurch mosque shootings pleads not guilty to 51 murder charges

The man accused of committing the Christchurch terror attack has pleaded not guilty to 51 charges of murder and 40 of attempted murder as well as engaging in a Terrorist Act.

Brenton Tarrant appeared via audio visual link from Auckland, where he is being held in isolation in a high-security wing of Auckland Prison at Paremoremo.

Justice Cameron Mander put all charges to the defendant's lawyer Shane Tait who entered the not guilty pleas. The 28-year-old Australian smiled as his lawyer entered the pleas. 

A trial date has been set for May 4, 2020. The Crown believes the trial could be six weeks, while Tait said the trial could be "considerably longer". A full length is yet to be decided.

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The defendant was remanded in custody to appear again on August 16 for a case review hearing.

About 80 victims and family members sat in court along with police officers. Also in court were victim support and leaders of the Muslim community.

Omar Abdel-Ghany, whose father Ahmed Gamal Eldin Abdel-Ghany was killed at Al Noor mosque, said his family had hoped to not have to wait for justice but they understood the process.

"I guess we were hoping to not wait another year to get it over and done with, but at the same time there is a court process that needs to be done so we just have to be patient."

Mustafa Boztas, who was shot inside Al Noor mosque, said the only way forward was peace and kindness.

"Justice will be served and we will rise from this and transform anger to love.

"He will never win as we are one, and we rise together. Bringing more peace to the world in kindness and respect for one another is the only way forward."

Yama Nabi, whose father Haji-Daoud Nabi was killed at Al Noor Mosque, said he had anticipated Tarrant would deny the charges.

"We all knew he would play the game and drag it along and play with the families' lives, so there is nothing much to be said."

Nabi said the prospect of enduring a lengthy trial was a painful one. 

"It is going to be a bit hurtful, as a family or a witness, and it is going to be hurtful for families to have to do a speech.

"They've got a broken heart, so there's no need to ... there are no words to say - they've got it all on screen."

The Crown formally laid the 51st murder charge, amending an earlier attempted murder charge and added two additional attempted murder charges, and a charge under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. The charge alleges a terrorist act was carried out in Christchurch on March 15. The accused smiled as the Crown laid the charge under the terrorist act.

Justice Mander said mental health assessments of the defendant had been completed with no issues arising regarding his fitness to plead or stand trial. A fitness hearing was not required.

Justice Mander also lifted suppression orders on the 51st person to die in Christchurch Hospital. He also lifted orders suppressing the names of those the defendant was charged with attempting to murder, other than the three victims under the age of 18 who get automatic name suppression.

Victims stared at screen at the defendant, some arms crossed others almost in tears.

Justice Mander declined media applications to film, take still photographs of make visual recordings of the appearance, but  allowed media to use a photo of the defendant taken at his first appearance.

The media contingent was expected to be so large the proceedings were streamed to a second room for journalists are unable to fit in the main courtroom, which can hold 22 journalists.

The courts reserved about 80 seats in the back of the court for victims and their families.

The accused last appeared in the Christchurch High Court via visual audio link on April 5. He was handcuffed, unshaven and wearing a dark grey jersey. He stared out from a television screen to a court where about 50 friends and relatives of the dead – one in a wheelchair and wearing a hospital gown – listened intently.