Christchurch mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant wanted to kill as many people as he could and had planned to attack a third mosque, a court was told as his sentencing hearing began.

The mass murderer appeared at the High Court in the New Zealand city on Monday, amid heightened security, armed police, barriers and road blocks.

Tarrant, a 29-year-old Australian, has admitted killing 51 people after opening fire on men, women and children at two mosques in the city on 15 March last year.

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