Neo-Nazi's bail extended after stop-start hearing
Thomas Sewell, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with intimidating a police officer and multiple personal safety intervention order breaches following police raids targeting the National Socialist Network in November.
Sewell, who represented himself, was accompanied by six people, dressed in black with the group's insignia displayed on their shoulders.
Despite being listed as a three-day contested hearing on Monday, the case was adjourned after prosecutor Louis Andrews flagged issues with a key witness.
Mr Andrews requested the case be adjourned for at least four weeks after an issue arose with the witness over the weekend.
Sewell expressed concern about the delay, telling magistrate Michelle Hodgson that he wished to speed up this process.
The stop-start hearing lasted several hours, as Sewell pushed to press ahead.
Ms Hodgson ruled in favour of an adjournment, stating that the witness was key to the prosecution's case, but set a "very short return date" of two weeks.
Sewell previously waved his rights of seeking further legal advice and successfully fast-tracked his case, which is now scheduled for September 1.
Details of the alleged offending were not read in court.
His bail was extended with conditions.
Speaking outside court, Sewell revealed a warrant is out for his arrest following an alleged assault at a march he attended on August 9.
A neo-Nazi accused of intimidating a police officer online has described the charges laid against him as false shortly after his bail was extended.
Thomas Sewell, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with intimidating a police officer and multiple personal safety intervention order breaches following police raids targeting the National Socialist Network in November.
Sewell, who represented himself, was accompanied by six people, dressed in black with the group's insignia displayed on their shoulders.
Despite being listed as a three-day contested hearing on Monday, the case was adjourned after prosecutor Louis Andrews flagged issues with a key witness.
Mr Andrews requested the case be adjourned for at least four weeks after an issue arose with the witness over the weekend.
Sewell expressed concern about the delay, telling magistrate Michelle Hodgson that he wished to speed up this process.
The stop-start hearing lasted several hours, as Sewell pushed to press ahead.
Ms Hodgson ruled in favour of an adjournment, stating that the witness was key to the prosecution's case, but set a "very short return date" of two weeks.
Sewell previously waved his rights of seeking further legal advice and successfully fast-tracked his case, which is now scheduled for September 1.
Details of the alleged offending were not read in court.
His bail was extended with conditions.
Speaking outside court, Sewell revealed a warrant is out for his arrest following an alleged assault at a march he attended on August 9.
A neo-Nazi accused of intimidating a police officer online has described the charges laid against him as false shortly after his bail was extended.
Thomas Sewell, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with intimidating a police officer and multiple personal safety intervention order breaches following police raids targeting the National Socialist Network in November.
Sewell, who represented himself, was accompanied by six people, dressed in black with the group's insignia displayed on their shoulders.
Despite being listed as a three-day contested hearing on Monday, the case was adjourned after prosecutor Louis Andrews flagged issues with a key witness.
Mr Andrews requested the case be adjourned for at least four weeks after an issue arose with the witness over the weekend.
Sewell expressed concern about the delay, telling magistrate Michelle Hodgson that he wished to speed up this process.
The stop-start hearing lasted several hours, as Sewell pushed to press ahead.
Ms Hodgson ruled in favour of an adjournment, stating that the witness was key to the prosecution's case, but set a "very short return date" of two weeks.
Sewell previously waved his rights of seeking further legal advice and successfully fast-tracked his case, which is now scheduled for September 1.
Details of the alleged offending were not read in court.
His bail was extended with conditions.
Speaking outside court, Sewell revealed a warrant is out for his arrest following an alleged assault at a march he attended on August 9.
A neo-Nazi accused of intimidating a police officer online has described the charges laid against him as false shortly after his bail was extended.
Thomas Sewell, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with intimidating a police officer and multiple personal safety intervention order breaches following police raids targeting the National Socialist Network in November.
Sewell, who represented himself, was accompanied by six people, dressed in black with the group's insignia displayed on their shoulders.
Despite being listed as a three-day contested hearing on Monday, the case was adjourned after prosecutor Louis Andrews flagged issues with a key witness.
Mr Andrews requested the case be adjourned for at least four weeks after an issue arose with the witness over the weekend.
Sewell expressed concern about the delay, telling magistrate Michelle Hodgson that he wished to speed up this process.
The stop-start hearing lasted several hours, as Sewell pushed to press ahead.
Ms Hodgson ruled in favour of an adjournment, stating that the witness was key to the prosecution's case, but set a "very short return date" of two weeks.
Sewell previously waved his rights of seeking further legal advice and successfully fast-tracked his case, which is now scheduled for September 1.
Details of the alleged offending were not read in court.
His bail was extended with conditions.
Speaking outside court, Sewell revealed a warrant is out for his arrest following an alleged assault at a march he attended on August 9.
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News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Thomas Sewell: Melbourne neo-Nazi leader sought by police over Bourke St alleged assault
A prominent Australian neo-Nazi claimed that police were seeking to arrest him over a violent confrontation at a rally as he faced court on allegations he sought to intimidate an officer and his wife. Thomas Sewell, 32, disputes the allegations, telling reporters outside the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday that it was instead him and his organisation experiencing intimidation and 'terrorism' from police. '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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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.
The Age
4 hours ago
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‘A gift for our opponents': Liberal boss calls for unity to stem electoral bleeding
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Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A gift for our opponents': Liberal boss calls for unity to stem electoral bleeding
Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis has called on party members to end 'persistent' internal dramas and accused those mounting a court challenge to the loan to former leader John Pesutto of diverting resources in a 'gift' to Labor. In a memo on Monday afternoon, Davis also sensationally called on members of the administrative committee to resign if they showed contempt for its democratic decisions and breached its code of conduct. 'To succeed we must win the confidence of the people of Victoria. To win we must bring an end to the persistent internal disputation and arguments which are so often reported in the media, creating the public perception of disunity,' Davis wrote in the message to members. The Federal Court in December found that Pesutto repeatedly falsely implied MP Moira Deeming was a Nazi sympathiser in 2023, ordering him to pay damages plus $2.3 million of her legal costs. The 19-member administrative committee in June voted to lend Pesutto $1.55 million, via its investment company, Vapold, to ensure he could cover Deeming's legal costs. The decision spared him bankruptcy and a byelection in his marginal seat of Hawthorn, and neutered the risk of other MPs and former premiers who donated to his defence being chased for costs. The loan was set at a commercial variable interest rate. But five members of the committee – Colleen Harkin, Erin Hunt, Anthony Schneider, Ian Pugh and Marcus Li – are challenging the validity of the loan in the Supreme Court, arguing it would constitute a 'benefit' in breach of the party's constitution. Davis described the proceeding as 'a gift for our political opponents' and diverting party resources.
