The gunman behind the Christchurch mosque shootings sacked his lawyers on Monday and will represent himself.

The former Grafton resident and Australian national Brenton Tarrant (29) will be sentenced on August 24.

Tarrant has been convicted of 51 counts of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of engaging in a terrorist act, after pleading guilty to all charges on March 26.  

The March 15 massacre last year was the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s modern history.