WELLINGTON: The gunman who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand’s worst mass shooting faces a life prison term, possibly without parole, with multi-day sentencing hearings taking place this week.
Brenton Tarrant, an Australian, has pleaded guilty to 51 murder charges, 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act. High Court judge Cameron Mander will hear about 66 victim impact statements, according to the court.
Below are quotes from Tuesday’s court proceedings:
AMBREEN NAEEM – WIFE OF NAEEM RASHID, WHO WAS KILLED AT AL NOOR MOSQUE TRYING TO STOP TARRANT; MOTHER OF TALHA NAEEM, ALSO KILLED
“Naeem died trying to save others and his act of bravery is something his sons will always feel proud for. His death was a reflection of his life.”
“Since my husband and son passed away I have never had a proper normal sleep. I don’t think I ever will. That is why his punishment should continue forever. No one ever stopped him from going to the mosque. He was greeted with hello brother when he entered the mosque.”
ANGELA ARMSTRONG – DAUGHTER OF LINDA ARMSTRONG, A CONVERT TO ISLAM WHO WAS KILLED AT LINWOOD MOSQUE
“You robbed me of my mother, of her love and strength. Likely you will also never again feel the love and warmth of your mother’s hug either. While I have pity for your mum, I have no emotion for you. You are nothing.”
“While he will remain trapped in a cage, my mum’s free. I therefore challenge Tarrant to use his remaining lifetime to consider the beauty and life to be found in diversity and freedom that he sought to distort and destroy.”
KYRON GOSSE – NEPHEW OF LINDA ARMSTRONG
“I want you to understand my utter rage when I learnt this man was a guest to New Zealand. This man is not one of us, but that didn’t stop him from slaughtering us. He entered into our home with ill intentions and hate in his heart, only to repay our hospitality by murdering our family and our guests, people who we welcome into this country with the promise of a better life. He stole that safety and security from them, just as he stole our nation’s innocence.”
“He immigrated to a land that my family called home for seven generations, and killed our loved ones in cold blood. And for what? He had no issue with Linda Armstrong. Filled with his own racist agenda this coward hid behind his big powerful guns and shot little old Linda from afar.”
(This story corrects word in first Angela Armstrong quote to “warmth” from “hope”)
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
Comments
0 comment