A group of men, including neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell, has been charged following an alleged attack on an Aboriginal protest site in Melbourne that occurred in August 2023. Sewell, along with 13 others, appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he indicated the possibility of a plea while maintaining that he was provoked during the incident.
The alleged assault took place after an anti-immigration protest in the city centre. It is claimed that Sewell led a group that forcefully entered the protest area, where they reportedly restrained participants before physically assaulting them. The court heard that three individuals sustained injuries, including one woman who required staples to close a wound on her scalp.
During the proceedings, Sewell and his co-defendants, including Nathan Bull, Timothy Holger Lutze, Augustus Coolie Hartigan, Ryan Williams, and Blake Cathcart, requested an adjournment until March 2024. Sewell’s attorney, Mathew Hopkins, informed the court that discussions were ongoing with the prosecution and that some details of the case remained in dispute. Nonetheless, the prosecution confirmed that the charges were “not necessarily in issue.”
Sewell spoke to reporters outside the court, contesting claims that the attack was unprovoked. “If we can agree to the facts, then I’m happy to do what’s needed to be done,” he stated. “This idea that I just walk around the street punching people for no reason … that’s just a lie.”
Three of the defendants—Zack Steven Dewaard, Billy Conheady, and Haymish Busscher—formally entered not guilty pleas to charges including violent disorder and affray. They are scheduled to face trial in the Victorian County Court with an initial directions hearing set for March.
The remaining accused, including Jake Crockett, Michael Nelson, Yan Zakharin, and Michael Saarinen, will contest the allegations during a committal hearing in magistrates court in May. In contrast, Jaeden Johnson pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder, assault by kicking, and committing an indictable offence while on bail. His plea hearing is slated for August in the County Court.
Outside the court, Sewell faced scrutiny from members of the public, with one individual confronting him over his views and accusing him of racism. The proceedings continue to draw attention as discussions regarding the implications of the incident unfold.
