He is a terrorist, an inhumane and wicked mass killer – a "monster" and "undoubtedly" New Zealand's "worst murderer". And now Brenton Harrison Tarrant will never be released from prison, spending the rest of his life behind bars without any possibility of parole. Video / Chris Tarpey
New Zealand justice has ruled Christchurch terror attack killer Brenton Tarrant will never walk free from jail again, meaning he now faces a life under our country's most stringent prison conditions ever.
Corrections remain tight lipped about the exact conditions Tarrant will be kept under, but it is likely to be a "severely isolated" life away from the internet, outside world and other prisoners.
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.
Justice Cameron Mander yesterday sentenced him to life behind bars without any chance of parole.
It is the first time any person in New Zealand has been given such a sentence.
Some are pushing for Australian-national Tarrant to be transferred to Australia to serve out his sentence.
But, at least for the moment, Tarrant will spend his days at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo - our toughest jail, which houses some of the worst criminals.
He has been held there since his arrest- isolated from other inmates.
Brenton Tarrant at an earlier court appearance which he attended via video link. Photo / NZME
"He will continue to be managed under the most stringent custodial regime we have ever developed," a Corrections spokeswoman said.
She said Corrections was obligated to treat prisoners humanely.
However, the safety of the public, prison staff and prisoners were the "overriding priority".
"We are committed to ensuring that the prisoner has no opportunity to cause harm or distress, either directly or indirectly, to anyone," the spokeswoman said.
Since Tarrant's 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 him.
Inmates don't have access to the internet.
In Tarrant's case, his access to media, books, visitors and any other contact with the outside world has also been tightly restricted and monitored since .
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 told the Herald last week.
Survivors are escorted by police away from the Al Noor mosque after the mass shooting. Photo / Supplied
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 would 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."
Former inmate and career criminal Arthur Taylor, who spent many years incarcerated at Paremoremo, gave the Herald further insight into Tarrant's future.
Auckland Prison at Paremoremo will likely be the Christchurch mosque terrorist killer's home for the rest of his life. Photo / Brett Phibbs
"He's not liked at Pare," he said.
"They are pissed off that he's even there, frankly."
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.
