New Zealand mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant sacks lawyer, chooses to represent himself in court
Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old white supremacist who gunned down 50 people at the Al-Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch on Friday, has sacked his lawyer and now plans to represent himself in court.
According to the NZ Herald, Tarrant's court-appointed attorney, Richard Peters, confirmed that he would no longer be representing the 28-year-old. While he admitted that Tarrant's behavior might seem "irrational," he said that the killer was "quite clear and lucid."
"He didn't appear to me to be facing any challenges or mental impairment, other than holding fairly extreme views," Peters said. He also said Tarrant had not displayed any regret for his actions or condolences for the victims.
The news has raised fears that Tarrant would use the highly-publicized trial to spread his anti-Muslim rhetoric and extremist propaganda, both of which he detailed in a 74-page, 16,500-word manifesto he uploaded before carrying out the attack.