The man behind the Christchurch terror attack will be sentenced next week.
As a convicted murderer, he will be sentenced to life behind bars. A judge will impose a minimum non parole period or simply make an order of no parole.
Senior journalist Anna Leask looks at what the sentence will mean for the murderer and terrorist.
Christchurch terror attack killer Brenton Tarrant will have a lonely and "severely isolated" life behind bars and will likely not see anyone other than prison staff for many years.
His future existence has been likened to "worse than a hermit" by prison sources, who say he will potentially spend hisentire sentence in solitary confinement of some kind.
And he may never be released from prison if the option of a life sentence without the possibility of parole is imposed.
Tarrant, who turns 30 in October, admitted murdering 51 men, women and children at two mosques on March 15 last year.
He also admitted 40 charges of attempted murder relating to the two attacks at Masjid Al Noor and Linwood Islamic Centre - and pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging in a terrorist act laid under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.
Armed police guard the Masjid Al Noor after the March 2019 terror attack. Photo / Michael Craig
Tarrant will be sentenced at the end of an unprecedented four-day hearing in the High Court at Christchurch starting on Monday.
Justice Cameron Mander is presiding over the case.
Under New Zealand law, anyone convicted of murder is sentenced to life in prison.
Only the Parole Board can make the decision to release a convicted murderer.
A person becomes eligible for parole after serving 10 years in jail - unless the sentencing judge imposes a longer minimum non-parole period.
A judge can set a term they deem appropriate that reflects the gravity of the offending.
The highest minimum non parole periods imposed in New Zealand include Mt Wellington RSA murderer William Bell.
Bell was jailed for life for the murder of William Absolum, 63, Mary Hobson, 44, and Wayne Johnson, 56, during a robbery at the RSA on December 8, 2001. He also shot Susan Couch, who worked part-time doing the club's accounts.
Justice Cameron Mander. Photo / NZME
Bruce Howse was sentenced to life for the murders of his stepdaughters Saliel Aplin and Olympia Jetson in their Masterton sleepout on December 4, 2001.
And in 2008 Liam Reid was jailed for life for the murder of deaf woman Emma Agnew, and the rape, sexual violation, attempted murder and robbery of a 21-year-old student in Dunedin.
Justice Mander could also opt for a sentence of life with no parole for Tarrant.
Experts have also canvassed the chance of Tarrant being transferred to Australia to serve that sentence if it is imposed.
Australia has a policy of allowing citizens jailed in other countries to be moved home.
Under its International Transfer of Prisoners Act it can facilitate the transfer of prisoners between Australia and countries with which it has agreements.
However, there is no agreement with New Zealand.
So, unless that changes, Tarrant will remain here.
Tarrant will spend his days at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo - our toughest jail which houses some of the worst criminals.
Since his arrest, he has been held there in custody - isolated from other inmates.
That is highly unlikely to change after his sentence.
After his initial arrest, two senior representatives from Norwegian Correctional Services, involved in the management of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik, visited New Zealand to offer their insight into how to best manage Tarrant.
Tarrant at his first court appearance a day after the March 2019 terror attack. Photo / Mark Mitchell
His access to media, books, visitors and any other contact with the outside world has been tightly restricted and monitored.
And, after he managed to send a controversial letter to a fan, all of his mail in and out has to be signed off by a team of senior prison staff, intelligence staff, Corrections psychologists, partner agencies and the chief custodial officer - and chief executive Christine Stevenson has the final say.
"Nothing changes," one prison source said.
He believed Tarrant would "never" be moved into the general prison population.
"Anyone would be his threat," he said.
"They would all love the prestige of taking him out - just so they could say they did it or it was their gang."
The source felt Tarrant would probably be kept in protective custody but at some stage he'd be given limited contact with select prisoners.
"This will depend on his own conduct and on what Intel says regarding dangers to his safety."
A second source said prison authorities would have two main concerns around Tarrant.
"The first is the likelihood of him 'converting' other prisoners to his cause," he said.
"But I think he's probably moving away from that already anyhow.
"The second is the likelihood of him being harmed by others or harming himself.
"He'll probably always be maximum or high custody but as time goes on, if he behaves himself, renounces his anti-Islamic views, and people get to know him, I can see him moving eventually into a more normal environment."
Brenton Tarrant at an earlier court appearance which he attended via video link. Photo / NZME
"No-one can predict at this stage when or how it will happen, because so much depends on himself and how he responds to the situation he's in."
He said that kind of response would be "long term".
"In the short term he'll be kept separated and I would be 100 per cent sure that special arrangements are being made for his custody in order to mitigate the effects of prolonged isolation.
"His mental health will have to be monitored pretty closely and I'd say psychologists will be involved in whatever regime he's given."
It is understood a comprehensive plan around ongoing management of Tarrant post-sentencing was presented to Corrections bosses by the Auckland Prison director.
Auckland Prison at Paremoremo. Photo / Brett Phibbs
They would not be drawn on the specifics but confirmed Tarrant would remain out of the general population.
"This prisoner continues to be managed in accordance with the provisions set out in the Corrections Act 2004 and our international obligations for the treatment of prisoners.
"He remains segregated from other prisoners and is able to be observed 24 hours a day.
"We continue to monitor his correspondence.
"There are no plans to construct a special unit for this prisoner and there are no plans to change the way he is managed," the spokesperson said.
"Our overriding priority is the safety of the public, and we will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure that we have the right skills, capability and experience to ensure this happens.
"For operational security reasons, no further information will be provided."
Former inmate and career criminal Arthur Taylor, who spent many years incarcerated at Paremoremo, gave the Herald further insight into Tarrant's future.
"He's not liked at Pare," he said.
"They are pissed off that he's even there, frankly."
Survivors are escorted by police away from the Al Noor mosque after the mass shooting. Photo / Supplied
Taylor said Tarrant was being held in the Intensive Support Unit - formerly known as the At Risk Unit.
The unit generally housed inmates with mental health issues.
"His whole life, he's going to be in solitary, I'd say, " Taylor told the Herald.
"He will be held in isolation, he won't get to mix with the others, it will be a very banal existence ... They threw me in there a couple of times. You're not even allowed books with staples because you might use them to harm yourself.
"He'll be the hermit of Paremoremo."
Another criminal being held there for the entirety of his sentence was Michael Thrift Murray - jailed for life for the murder of West Auckland man Connor Morris in August 2014.
Morris was the son of a senior Head Hunters gang member and because of concern around retribution attacks in jail, at Murray's sentencing it was stated he would be held in isolation for his entire prison term.
"If people like that were in the general population it would be a free-for-all," Taylor said.
"There would be no co-ordinated attack plan, it would probably be some young gang member trying to make a name for himself.
"His life's going to be very spartan. The chief feature is going to be isolation."
