Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant sacks lawyer to represent himself in court; attorney says he appears mentally stable

Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old Australian-born who killed 50 people during Friday’s terror attacks in Christchurch, has dismissed his lawyer and is planning to represent himself in future court hearings. Christchurch, New Zealand: Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old Australian-born suspect accused of gunning down 50 people during Friday’s terror attacks in Christchurch, has dismissed his lawyer and is planning to represent himself in future court hearings, raising fears that he could attempt to use the trial to express his extremist views. Richard Peters, the attorney who represented Tarrant in the hearing at the Christchurch District Court on Saturday, confirmed the news and said the accused “appeared to be lucid” and was not “mentally unstable”, New Zealand Herald reported. “The primary aim of the activity is to formally obtain material that may assist New Zealand Police in their ongoing investigation,” the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police said in a joint statement.