Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell to stand trial after allegedly leading attack on Melbourne Indigenous camp | Victoria
Neo-Nazi figure Thomas Sewell is set to stand trial for allegedly leading an attack on an Indigenous protest site in Melbourne last year.
Sewell, 33, appeared in Melbourne magistrates court via video link on Thursday morning after being charged over 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.
The court previously heard three people were injured and one woman required staples to be inserted into her scalp to close her wound.
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 to confirm his not guilty plea before being tried in Victoria’s district court.
Co-accused Nathan Bull also appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges of violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking and failure to state his name or address.
Bakos also arraigned Bull and extended the two men’s bail until the district court instructions hearing date in April.
The other three men – Timothy Holger Lutze, Augustus Coolie Hartigan and Ryan Williams – will contest their charges at a magistrates’ court hearing set for May.
Blake Cathcart, who was also charged with the alleged campsite attack, pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder and assault with a weapon.
A plea hearing is expected in district court in August.
While Jaeden Johnson pleaded guilty in February, there are seven other defendants who have challenged the charges either at a committal hearing or at a hearing in district court.
