The 29-year-old Australian who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand's worst mass shooting was sentenced Thursday to life without parole -- the first time such a sentence has been handed down in the country.

On March 15, 2019, Brenton Tarrant entered the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in central Christchurch armed with multiple firearms and shot at worshippers attending Friday prayers.

The white supremacist also planned to attack a third mosque and burn down the Islamic places of worship but was intercepted and arrested by police.

Photo taken on August 27, 2020 shows Brenton Tarrant on the final day of his sentencing hearing at Christchurch High Court for the terror attacks carried out on two Christchurch mosques in March 2019.(Photo courtesy of court pool photographer)(Kyodo)
 

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The sentence, handed down by Christchurch High Court Justice Cameron Mander, was for 51 charges of murder. For 40 charges of attempted murder, the judge sentenced Tarrant to concurrent sentences of 12 years, and for one charge of engaging in a terrorist attack, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Tarrant previously pled guilty to all charges in March.

The justice said in the ruling that Tarrant sought to kill as many people as possible and instill fear in the Christchurch Muslim, and generally non-European immigrant, community.

Tarrant also came to New Zealand -- considered to be one of the safest places in the world -- to deliberately target the country's Muslim population in a place of refuge, the justice said.

"The hatred that lies at the heart of your hostility has no place here. It has no place anywhere," the justice said.

In its submission to court, the prosecution revealed that Tarrant -- who it described as "New Zealand's worst murderer" -- had recently expressed regret and remorse for his actions to psychiatrists and psychologists. However, the medical experts questioned the sincerity of those statements.

The justice concurred, saying, "As far as I can discern, you are empty of any empathy for your victims."

The justice spent roughly two hours reading out the sentencing statement.

Tarrant, who previously dismissed his lawyers, waived his right to speak at the hearing, which took place over four days from Monday, and did not oppose the prosecution's application for life without parole. Throughout the hearing, he remained attentive, though outwardly emotionless.

Outside the courthouse, representatives of the Christchurch Muslim community expressed relief that legal proceedings had ended, but the feeling of grief was palpable over the dozens of lives lost among their loved ones.

"We are very proud that we are Muslims in New Zealand and we'll continue to serve this country," said Gamal Fouda, Imam of Al Noor Mosque, where 44 people were killed.

But "no punishment will bring our loved ones back," he said.

After the sentencing, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised the strength of the Muslim community.

"The trauma of March 15 is not easily healed but today I hope is the last where we have any cause to hear or utter the name of the terrorist behind it," she said in a statement. "His deserves to be a lifetime of complete and utter silence."

The hearing this week was largely comprised of roughly 90 emotional victim impact statements, which ranged from detailing the physical, emotional and financial suffering survivors have incurred, to showing defiance to the terrorist and labeling him a "coward."

"Those that fight with guns. Cowards," said Sara Qasem, daughter of slain man Abdelfattah Qasem, in an impassioned statement to the court on Wednesday.

"You know you're not strong. You know you're weak. Look at yourself," she said, looking directly at Tarrant.

Tarrant's attack -- which he livestreamed to Facebook using a camera attached to his helmet -- was met with an international outpouring of grief and sympathy for the Christchurch community.

The 17-minute attack video, which subsequently became illegal to share under New Zealand law, prompted internet giant Facebook Inc. to change its rules around livestreamed content.

The longest non-parole sentence in New Zealand prior to Thursday's case was 30 years. However, a law was enacted in 2010 to allow for life without parole for the most heinous murders.