Lawyer says New Zealand mosque gunman is considering appeal

A lawyer for the gunman who killed 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques says his client is considering appealing his convictions and prison sentence

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- The gunman who killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, is considering appealing his convictions and prison sentence, his lawyer said Monday.

Australian Brenton Tarrant was subject to inhumane and degrading treatment in jail, prompting him to plead guilty under duress, lawyer Tony Ellis wrote in a memo to the chief coroner.

Tarrant, a white supremacist, livestreamed the 2019 attacks on Facebook. It was the worst atrocity in New Zealand’s modern history and prompted lawmakers to swiftly ban the deadliest types of semiautomatic weapons.

Last year before his trial was due to begin, Tarrant pleaded guilty to all charges, including 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the toughest sentence available in New Zealand.