Trial of man accused of killing 51 people at two mosques set to begin in June next year

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

The man accused of killing 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in March has withdrawn an application to have the trial moved away from Christchurch, the city where the attacks occurred.

The decision was announced at the high court in Christchurch, where the accused man, Australian Brenton Tarrant, appeared via a video link from a high-security prison in Auckland.

Around 80 members of the Muslim community were in attendance, Stuff reported, with many concerned they would not be able to attend the trial if it was moved to another city.

Tarrant’s defence lawyer Shane Tait unexpectedly withdrew the application to have the trial venue moved, at a hearing that lasted 10 minutes.

Tarrant’s next court appearance is scheduled for 12 December.

Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, pleaded not guilty in June to 92 charges against him, including of murder and terrorism. He is now being held in isolation at New Zealand’s only maximum security prison, Paremoremo, north of Auckland.

The corrections department admitted in August that the 28-year-old has successfully sent and received postal letters with other white supremacists from his jail cell.

Tarrant has also made a number of complaints regarding the conditions of his detention to the Human Rights Commission.

A lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons attacked Muslims attending Friday prayers in Christchurch on 15 March in New Zealand’s worst peace-time mass shooting. The attacker broadcast the shooting live on Facebook and other online platforms.

Tarrant is due to stand trial in June 2020. The trial had been scheduled to begin in May but was postponed to avoid coinciding with Ramadan.

• Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day. In New Zealand, the crisis support service Lifeline can be reached on 0800 543 354. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Irish Republic, contact Samaritans on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.