Court told Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell allegedly incited followers to ‘charge’ at Camp Sovereignty before assault

A renowned far right extremist accused of assaulting members of a sacred Indigenous site allegedly incited his group to “charge” at the camp members before the violence erupted, a court has been told. Thomas Sewell appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday seeking bail over the alleged assault in the aftermath of Sunday’s March for Australia anti-immigration rally in Victoria. Sewell, 32, spent the night in custody after being arrested outside the same court on Tuesday. In a statement, Victoria Police confirmed detectives from the Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit attended the court about 3.20pm and arrested three people. Sewell was interviewed over the alleged assault in King’s Domain on August 31 before being remanded in custody. He is charged with violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking, discharge missile and other offences. Prosecutors opposed Sewell’s application for bail on Wednesday, citing an unacceptable risk of endangering the safety and welfare of the public. The court was told Sewell was currently unemployed but acted as the leader of the National Socialist Network (NSN), a notorious Australian neo-Nazi political organisation. Members of the NSN attended Sunday’s March for Australia protests, led by Sewell. “He provided a speech from the steps of parliament, on Spring St, expressing the views held by the NSN regarding immigration,” Detective Senior Constable Pascoe, the informant, told the court. The NSN group is then alleged to have made their way to Camp Sovereignty – an Indigenous encampment located on a sacred site in Melbourne. Senior Constable Pascoe said Sewell was allegedly seen leading the group of 30 men, all dressed in black, from the Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda towards the camp. “The applicant turns back towards the NSN group and incites the group, by instructing them to charge and run up towards Camp Sovereignty, prior to attacking the occupants,” he said. Several Camp Sovereignty occupants were allegedly assaulted in the resulting fracas. The court was told Sewell had “complete control” over the NSN and boasted a “large group of followers” that they would “attack, on his instruction, without hesitation”.“(He) has a proclivity to acts of violence, and direct acts of violence, to further advance the political position of the NSN,” Senior Constable Pascoe said. “It is almost certain the applicant will return to committing offences similar to what he has been charged with, and convicted of previously.” The court was told Sewell had outstanding matters before the court – some of which allegedly involved him chanting offensive Nazi slogans in public during NSN rallies in Ballarat and Toorak. Another allegedly involved assaulting a man following a rally through the Bourke St Mall in early August He is also facing charges of intimidating a police officer and their family. Senior Constable Pascoe said one of those charges alleged Sewell appearing on a podcast and saying he wanted to “dox” a police officer and his family. “(Sewell) stated he and his group had downloaded the victim’s personal photos and information for use in the doxxing,” he said. The court was told there was a risk Sewell would not comply with any bail conditions which would limit his capacity to advance the NSN’s profile and interests. In cross-examination, Senior Constable Pascoe acknowledged Sewell had a prima facie entitlement to bail despite the opposition. The court was told it was accepted Sewell did not initiate the alleged incident in the Bourke St Mall in August. Matthew Hopkins, acting for Sewell, said his client was evicted from his home in late August, moving into temporary accommodation. Sewell failed to inform police of the eviction, Mr Hopkins said. The court was told Sewell’s wife was caring for his two children and were currently on a family holiday in Far North Queensland. “His wife is unable to operate the campervan, she’s unable to take care of the two children and return them and the campervan back to Victoria without assistance,” Mr Hopkins said. “Ideally, that should be Mr Sewell.” Mr Hopkins said his client had returned to Melbourne to attend court proceedings for the outstanding matters, before he was arrested over the alleged assault at the weekend. He submitted there was a constitutional implied right of political communication in Australia, asking the court to pay no attention to submissions Sewell was motivated by a “racially-motivated ideology”. “There’s no evidence of what constitutes a racially-motivated ideology,” Mr Hopkins said. “There’s no evidence about what extent of that racially-motivated ideology is offensive. “For many, many decades in this country there was a White Australia policy. And in recent history there were attempts by that ideology to ban communism. “So what we have here is a contest of political ideas.” He said the case against Sewell was “not overly strong” at this point and evidence would be put to the court about elements of “provocation”, including allegations cars were graffitied. Mr Hopkins said the prosecution’s submissions were loaded with subjective “almost political” commentary. “These are just opinions,” he said. “Their attempt to reach the unacceptable reach is conflated with political arguments that carry no weight.” A decision will be handed down on Friday.