No words but just one look said enough
WITH an icy cold stare, a smirk and a right wing extremist hand signal, Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant faced Christchurch District Court on a single murder charge related to the worst massacre in New Zealand’s history.
The 28-year-old did not say anything, he was not yet required to.
But his thoughts were writ large on his demeanour as he calmly stared at the press gallery, gently rocking on his feet.
Then he made a subtle “white power” symbol with his fingers and again scanned the room seemingly looking for approval as he smirked.
His appearance lasted just three minutes, before the shackled and cuffed stocky Tarrant was ushered out of the courtroom. He was wearing the white prison garb he was handed after his arrest on Friday.
No plea was entered but will be required when he appears in the High Court on April 5.
Judge Paul Kellar told the court there was only one charge at the moment “but assume there will be others”, the one charge sheet stating that he “on the 15th day of March, 2019, at Christchurch, murdered (name suppressed) … with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment”.
The judge suppressed the name of the male victim out of respect for his family and the broader community.
The judge spent 10 minutes to reflect on the tragedy from a legal point of view.
A large throng of press from all over the world were the only people allowed access to the locked-down court building to bear witness to the brief proceedings.