KILLER JAILED
Who is Brenton Tarrant and where is the Christchurch killer now?
BRENTON Tarrant, who killed 51 people and injured a further 50 in a terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been sentenced for his crimes.
But who is Tarrant, and where is he now?
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Who is Brenton Tarrant?
Brenton Tarrant is a 29-year-old Australian terrorist, who killed 51 people and injured a further 50 at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
He has now been sentenced for his atrocious crimes, admitting to the murder of 51 people, attempted murder of another 40 people and one charge of terrorism.
Tarrant targeted Muslim communities, opening fire at Al Noor mosque and Linwood mosque in March 2019.
Tarrant reportedly had been on a seven-year trip around the world before the attack after his dad Rodney Tarrant died of cancer aged 49
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What sentence was he given for the Christchurch massacre?
Tarrant has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
This is the first time in the country's history that such a sentence has been given.
The judge called his actions "inhuman", adding that he had "showed no mercy".
Tarrant's sentencing also marks the first terrorism conviction in New Zealand's history.
Judge Cameron Mander said: "Your crimes are so wicked that even if you are detained until you die, it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment.
"You are not only a murderer, but a terrorist.
"You sought to essentially attack New Zealand’s way of life."
New Zealand does not have the death penalty as part of its justice system.
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Where is he now?
Tarrant was sentenced on August 27, 2020.
He will now spend the rest of his life in prison.
Tarrant, dressed in grey prison clothes and flanked by guards, did not react as he was sentenced in court.
The attack prompted New Zealand to reform its gun laws - banning military-style semi-automatic weapons.
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What was Brenton Tarrant's family background?
Tarrant was born in the Australian state of New South Wales to a father who was a garbage collector and a mother who was a teacher.
His father died in 2010 - which was when Tarrant quit his job and travelled around Asia and Europe.
His grandmother told news outlet 9News that she believed these travels changed him, saying: "It's only since he travelled overseas I think that boy has changed completely to the boy we knew".
In his manifesto which he posted online before the attack, he said: "I had little interest in education.
"I did not attend university as I had no great interest in anything offered in the universities to study.”
Tarrant appeared to come from a loving family, who still live in Grafton, Australia.
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What happened at the Christchurch mosque?
The devastating attack at the Masjid Al Noor Mosque and the nearby Linwood Masjid took place at around 1.40pm on Friday, March 14, 2019.
The gunman opened fire on the two mosques, targeting worshippers inside.
He then returned to his car to pick up another weapon and resumed firing inside.
He then shot two more people outside the Linwood Islamic Centre.
Graphic footage of the attack was live-streamed on Facebook via a headcam he was wearing.
Tarrant told police officers that it was his plan to burn down the mosques after his attack - and that he wished he'd done so.
The names of modern terrorists, ancient military commanders and far-right symbols were scrawled on guns and magazines of ammunition before the rampage.
What was Brenton Tarrant's manifesto?
Tarrant was active on fringe online forums, and prior to the horrendous attack, he posted a 74-page 'manifesto' online.
Tarrant described how he'd been preparing for the attack since his trip to Europe two years ago.
During his visit to France, he'd described a town in Eastern France as a "cursed place", calling immigrants "invaders".
The author of the disturbing manifesto said he was inspired by Anders Breivik - the far-right terrorist who killed 69 children of a Workers' Youth League on the island of Utøya in Norway in 2011.
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In the rambling document, he vowed to take revenge for the "thousands of European lives lost to terror attacks".
He also wrote: ";I have read the writings of Dylan Roof and many others, but only really took true inspiration from Knight Justiciar Breivik."
Tarrant added that he also hoped to "create conflict between the two ideologies within the United States on the ownership of firearms in order to further the social, cultural, political and racial divide".
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