New Zealand mosque gunman to represent himself at sentencing
Wellington: The Australian white supremacist who admitted killing 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques has dismissed his lawyers and will represent himself when he is sentenced next month.
Brenton Harrison Tarrant had pleaded guilty in March to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act for the shootings in Christchurch in 2019.
His sentencing hearing, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to begin in Christchurch on August 24 and could last more than three days. The date was confirmed at a High Court session in Christchurch on Monday that was attended by some shooting survivors.
Tarrant's defence team, lawyers Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, applied during Monday's hearing for permission to withdraw as his counsel, a role they have filled since April 2019. They told the court they had been instructed by Tarrant to withdraw as he wishes to exercise his right to represent himself.
Tarrant participated in Monday's proceedings by video link from his Auckland jail. Justice Cameron Mander approved Tarrant's request to dismiss his lawyers, saying he was satisfied he understood his right to legal representation and wished to waive that right.
A lawyer will still be appointed by the court to provide advice if Tarrant requests it. Mander called for a pre-sentence report and statements from victims for the hearing.
Tarrant faces life imprisonment, with the judge having some discretion in deciding how many years Tarrant must serve before becoming eligible for parole.
The attacks targeting people praying at the mosques shocked New Zealand, where new laws were quickly approved banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. It also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman live-streamed his attack on Facebook, where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
The sudden guilty plea in March surprised survivors and relatives and relieved many people who had feared Tarrant would try to use his trial as a platform to promote his views.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mangaluru court sentences man to life for 2022 murder
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): A court in Mangaluru on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of a 47-year-old man in Dakshina Kannada district in 2022.
The II Additional District and Sessions Court Judge, Jagadish V N, convicted the accused, Murugan, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000.
According to the police, the case relates to the murder of Harish Salyan, a resident of Ullanje in Mangaluru city.
The incident occurred on March 19, 2022, near a tourist car parking area at Mulki Pete in Bappanadu village of Mulki town in Dakshina Kannada district.
Investigations revealed that the accused attacked Salyan with a red laterite stone embedded in cement concrete, repeatedly striking his face and killing him on the spot.
Police said the murder was allegedly committed due to financial enmity between the accused and the victim.
Following the incident, a case was registered at the Mulki police station, and the matter was later taken up for trial in the Sessions Court.
The investigation in the case was carried out by Police Inspector Kusumadhar, who filed the charge sheet before the court. Assistant Sub-Inspector Sanjeev assisted in the investigation.
During the trial, the prosecution was represented by Public Prosecutor Jyothi Pramod Nayak, who argued the case on behalf of the state.
Based on the evidence and arguments presented, the court pronounced the verdict convicting the accused and awarding life imprisonment.
