Neo-Nazi leader to stand trial over alleged camp attack

Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell has been ordered to stand trial over the alleged attack on an Aboriginal protest website.

Sewell, 33, was beamed to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via video link on Thursday morning after being charged in connection with the Camp Sovereignty incident.

Sewell is alleged to have led the group that raided the site following an anti-immigration protest in Melbourne city center in August.

Men dressed in black allegedly restrained Native camp residents before kicking and punching them.

Three people were injured and one woman had to have staples inserted into her scalp to close her wound, the court was told earlier.

On Thursday, Sewell formally pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to the incident, including violent disorder, affray and unlawful assault.

He was initially charged with more than 20 felonies, but prosecutors dropped most of the charges at Thursday’s hearing.

Judge Donna Bakos found the evidence against Sewell was of sufficient weight to support a conviction.

Sewell made a brief speech before his trial in the Victorian County Court, only to confirm his not guilty plea.

Co-defendant Nathan Bull also appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty to violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking and failure to state his name or address.

Ms Bakos also arraigned Bull and extended the two men’s bail until the District Court directions hearing date in April.

Co-defendants Timothy Holger Lutze, Augustus Coolie Hartigan and Ryan Williams will contest their charges at a hearing in the Magistrates’ Court in May.

Blake Cathcart, who was also charged with the alleged campsite attack, pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder and assault with a weapon.

He faces a plea hearing in District Court in August.

While Jaeden Johnson pleaded guilty in February, there are seven other defendants who contested the charges either at a committal hearing or at a hearing in District Court.