Neo-Nazi Desmond Liddington successfully appeals sentence for attacking activist’s home

A leader of a neo-Nazi group has successfully appealed his jail sentence for attacking the Sydney home of a Black Lives Matter and Aboriginal rights activist.

A leader of a neo-Nazi group has successfully appealed his jail sentence for attacking an Aboriginal rights activist while it was revealed in court his white supremacy ideologies were formed while previously in custody.

Desmond Liddington, 39, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in February for affray and intimidation charges related to an attempted home invasion of Black Lives Matter activist Padraic “Paddy” Gibson on December 4, 2021.

Liddington, who appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Thursday — sporting an AK47 tattoo on his bald head with the word RAHOWA, referring to the neo-Nazi concept of a “racial holy war” — is the leader of white supremacist group called Firm 22.

In Sutherland Local Court he was given a non-parole period of two years and appealed his sentence on the basis his punishment was “excessive”.

Court documents state Liddington, who lives in Gregory Hills and is bricklayer, along with Clement Gilbert and Max Ferrer arrived at Mr Gibson’s Arncliffe home by car and knocked on the door.

Desmond Liddington was sentenced for attacking Paddy Gibson. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Gilbert and Ferrer pleaded guilty to intimidation and affray and they were both sentenced to community correction orders.

The court heard Mr Gibson looked through his peephole where he immediately thought the men were neo-Nazi extremists based on his previous interactions with people in the far-right movement.

Paddy, an anti-racism activist, was the victim of an ideologically motivated attack by neo-Nazi Desmond Liddington. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

They were wearing similar clothing, had shaved heads and one of the men’s T-shirts had a Eureka Stockade cross on the front.

One of the men said “is this Paddy? We want to have a word Paddy”.

Mr Gibson said “Paddy is not here” before the men bashed on the door.

Mr Gibson and his wife ran to the back of their house, locked the security door and called police as the men damaged his window and veranda during the chaotic ordeal.

Magistrate Phillip Stewart said he was “satisfied beyond reasonable doubt” the crimes were “motivated by hatred for, or prejudge against a group of people to which he believed Mr Gibson belonged”.

“They can be no doubt that Gibson was targeted by Liddington and others due to their right-wing extremist beliefs which obviously do not accord with those held by Gibson,” he said.

The District Court heard, when Liddington was in prison in Western Australia, he became allies with people who held white supremacy ideologies, because he “had no other family”; and on his repeated stints in custody, he would continue to be put back with the same people who held the same views as him.

The court heard Liddington was intoxicated at the time of the attack after drinking a bottle of rum and he had a longstanding alcohol problem and had relapsed when Covid prevented him from working.

Desmond Liddington is the leader of the white supremacy group Firm 22.

The court heard Liddington’s partner remained supportive of him, as did his employer who both wrote character references.

Judge Leonie Flannery took into account the “extremely serious” attack and Liddington’s lengthy criminal history.

She accepted Liddington still had supportive partner and employer, and was “well-regarded” at his work, which she described as “positives”.

Judge Flannery reduced the punishment to two years jail with a non-parole period of 14 months.

Liddington will be eligible to apply for parole on April 3.