Mosque shooting terrorist arrives in Christchurch for sentencing

Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant has arrived in Christchurch ahead of his sentencing next week.

The convicted killer will be sentenced in the High Court for the murder of 51 people in March last year, as well as 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of carrying out a terrorist act.

He touched down on Sunday afternoon on an Air Force Hercules, guarded by Corrections staff and police.

He was then taken to a Corrections van, surrounded by escort vehicles while a helicopter kept watch overhead.

Tarrant's sentencing has led to an increased police presence in Christchurch, particularly at key sites for the Muslim community

District Commander Superintendent John Price told Newshub it's imperative that police are on high alert.

"We've got a large number of staff committed to this operation," he said.

"It's really important that we do this spectacularly well, and that we can ensure that all people taking part in the court case will be safe and will feel safe."

For the duration of the sentencing, the roads on either side of the justice precinct will be shut to motorists so the families of the victims can safely enter the courthouse.

"We've escalated the high threat just for this building to ensure that we can make sure that there is nothing that will occur that could interrupt proceedings," Price said.

The hearing is expected to take four days.