Thomas Sewell, the leader of Australia’s largest nationalist group, White Australia, has been granted bail more than two months after he was locked up over an alleged clash with far-left extremists in Melbourne.
Mr Sewell, 32, applied for release in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday on 25 charges relating to the alleged fight at so-called Camp Sovereignty on August 31.
Justice James Elliott ruled on the application on Thursday morning, granting bail strict conditions including not entering Melbourne’s CBD or going within 200 metres of Kings Domain, the site of the illegal aboriginal encampment.
He said the prosecution had not proved Mr Sewell was an unacceptable risk to the community, and said there were compelling reasons to grant bail.
On Wednesday Mr Sewell was filmed holding up a piece of paper saying “White Australia” and waving as he was taken in to the court in handcuffs, and his barrister Dermot Dann KC argued that his client should be granted bail as the case could drag on for as long as two years.
Mr Sewell was arrested on September 2 and was refused bail in Melbourne Magistrates Court three days later after Magistrate Donna Bakos said the public needed protection from “hateful speech” and called the incident an “unprovoked [alleged] attack on a sacred site”.
He is one of 15 members of the National Socialist Network charged over the alleged brawl at “Camp Sovereignty”, which was being used by far-left extremists to attack March for Australia attendees returning to their cars after the anti-immigration rally.
More to come.
Header image: Left, Mr Sewell arriving at court on Wednesday (9News). Right, at “Camp Sovereignty” on August 31 (supplied).
The post White Australia leader Thomas Sewell granted bail over clash with far-left extremists first appeared on The Noticer.
The Noticer
