3:16 a.m. ET, March 18, 2019
Accused gunman will defend himself in court
From CNN's Jo Shelley
A 28-year-old man Australian man accused of the murder of 50 people in Christchurch on Friday doesn’t want a lawyer, according to the attorney temporarily assigned to him on the day of his arrest.
Duty lawyer Richard Peters told CNN that Brenton Tarrant had twice made it clear that he did not want legal representation.
Peters, assigned by Christchurch District Court to assist Tarrant in preliminary court appearances, said that the defendant hopes to represent himself.
Tarrant is due to appear in court again on April 5. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she expects additional charges to be laid against him.