Alleged mosque gunman to represent himself in murder case: lawyer
Ex-lawyer says he appears rational
The Australian gunman charged with murder for allegedly killing 50 people in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques plans to represent himself, his court-appointed duty lawyer said Monday.
Brenton Tarrant was charged with one count of murder and appeared at Christchurch District Court on Saturday after the rampage during Friday prayers.
Duty lawyer Richard Peters, who represented him during the preliminary court hearing, told AFP the 28-year-old "indicated he does not want a lawyer".
"He wants to be self-represented in this case," Peters said.
"The way he presented was as a rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. That's how he appeared. He seemed to understand what was going on," Peters said.