‘Terrorism': Neo-Nazi's odd offer to cops
'All of these charges come from the fact that we are advocating for white Australians; the government is against us doing that,' he said. It's understood the police investigation relates to an alleged assault on a man in Melbourne's Bourke St Mall in the early hours of Saturday, August 7. Thomas Sewell is facing allegations he sought to intimidate a police officer and his wife. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia
About 100 black-clad men held signs and flags, including the Australian flag, the National Socialist Network flag and a sign reading 'White Man Fight Back', as they marched down the shopping mall in the city's CBD.
Video from the scene captured a man, believed to be Mr Sewell, brawling with a member of the public.
The march was condemned by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen, who called the group 'goons' and vowed to introduce powers for police to unmask protesters.
'Nazis don't belong in this country and they know it. That's why they hide behind masks in the dark,' she said.
Police were called after about 100 members of the National Socialist Network marched through Melbourne's CBD in the early hours of Saturday morning. Outside court, the National Socialist Network (NSN) figurehead showed media several stitches to a cut above his left ear.
'I do have some injuries from an assault on my person about a week ago. We did a large demonstration; we marched down Bourke St Mall about midnight … and I was attacked by a deluded, deranged person,' he said.
'The police have refused to charge the man with assault and instead have threatened to arrest me today.' Mr Sewell was supported in court. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Sewell said he'd offered police to arrest him outside of court but wouldn't attend the Melbourne West police station because he believed it would breach his bail conditions.
Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.
Mr Sewell was supported by six associates, clad in matching Helly Hansen jackets bearing the NSN's emblem and the Australian flag, including Jacob Hersant, Joel Davis and Nathan Bull. He led the march through Melbourne's CBD. X Credit: Supplied
His comments came as a three-day hearing on allegations he sought to intimidate a police officer and their spouse was delayed following an application from the prosecution.
Prosecutors allege Mr Sewell intimidated the officer and his partner on both October 21 and November 7 last year.
He is also charged with alleged breaches of personal safety intervention orders protecting the couple on November 7 and failing to comply with a direction to provide police with access to an electronic device.
The November 7 charges relate to Mr Sewell mentioning on a podcast hosted by Mr Davis and Blair Cottrell that a police officer allegedly attempted to remove a NSN member's face covering during a protest. Thomas Sewell appears on a podcast hosted by Joel Davis and Blair Cottrell. Supplied/ Rumble. Credit: News Corp Australia
United Australian Party leader Ralph Babet watched the court hearing via videolink.
The hearing was pushed back to September 1 by magistrate Michelle Hodgson after prosecutor Louis Andrews flagged the police officer's wife had expressed reluctance to give evidence.
'The prosecution has to consider whether or not to make an application for that witness to be treated as unavailable,' Mr Andrews said.
Mr Sewell asked the court to 'note on the record' that police were seeking to arrest him over the CBD incident. He will return to court on September 1. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia
Outside court, he vowed to fight the charges, labelling them 'false' and 'political persecution'.
'We have the right as Australian citizens to mention what police do and don't do in terms of their attacks on us and that is the beginning of this incident,' he said. 'Explaining the police's actions to the public and they've kicked my door in, arrested me and intimidated my family'.Mr Sewell will return to court for a hearing on the allegations next month.
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