The terrorist's lawyers, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, appeared via video-link from another court room. The names of all 51 people killed were read to Tarrant, before he was asked how he pleaded to the murder charges. He queried the name of a victim before saying, "Oh, OK. Yes, guilty". Brenton Tarrant appears via video link in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Thursday. Credit:AP The same process was followed for the attempted murder charges.

Justice Cameron Mander remanded Tarrant in custody, but has not yet set a date for sentencing, when the summary of facts would be made public. Loading ​Few people knew of the special hearing, which was only scheduled late on Wednesday, on the eve of an unprecedented nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Six New Zealand journalists attended. Also in court were the imams from both targeted mosques. Al-Noor Imam Gamal Fouda was visibly upset as the guilty pleas were entered. The hearing concluded at 10.30am, NZ time, but the judge suppressed the outcome for an hour to allow victims, who were unaware of the hearing, to be notified.

The decision to hold the hearing amid the national state of emergency was not made lightly. Earlier in the week Tarrant indicated to counsel that he might change his pleas. A formal request was made on Wednesday that the matter be brought before the court. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Mander said both the Crown and defence asked to have the hearing expedited, despite the severe health restrictions. The courts were considered an essential public service that was able to deal with "priority proceedings without compromising people's health".

The judge said he felt the court had the capacity to safely hear the matter by limiting the number of people in court. In total, 17 people were present. It was regrettable the victims were unable to attend, but the imams were asked to be present to bear witness to the proceedings. "It was my assessment that taking the defendant's pleas at this time was the appropriate course in the circumstances," Mander said. "The entry of guilty pleas represents a very significant step towards bringing finality to this criminal proceeding and I considered the need to take the opportunity to progress the matter was particularly acute coming as it has at a time when the risk of further delay as a result of Covid-19 was looming as realistic possibility." On March 15 last year, Tarrant drove from his Dunedin home to Christchurch with an arsenal of guns and ammunition he'd amassed since moving from Australia to New Zealand in 2017.

The white supremacist entered the Al-Noor Mosque as Friday prayers were beginning and opened fire, killing and wounding dozens of people. Loading He then drove across town to the Linwood Mosque where he continued his shooting spree. Tarrant was arrested a short time later after his car, a gold Subaru Outback, was rammed off the road by two police officers as he tried to make his way to a third target, thought to be a mosque in Ashburton. When police searched the vehicle they found several guns and petrol bombs.

Tarrant's grandmother, Marie Fitzgerald, had no idea about the plea until called by Stuff. "I feel sorry he did the crime, but he's got to pay the time now." She declined to comment further. Victim Support chief executive Kevin Tso said support was ongoing for hundreds of victims who still need help coping with the trauma and rebuilding their lives. "We're pleased victims no longer have to face the trauma of the trial," Tso said.

In total, 51 people were killed in the terrorist attack, the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's history. Tarrant was the first person to be charged under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. Stuff