Deradicalisation did not work on jailed neo-Nazi Michael Holt, court hears

Despite spending five years behind bars, there has been no change in Michael Holt’s belief in ‘Reich Law’, with the prisoner even trying to recruit others, a court judgment shows.

The state has applied for powers to supervise a swastika-tattooed neo-Nazi upon his release from prison, with deradicalisation programs unable to shift his “extreme” beliefs.

Fundamental Christian Michael Holt has been behind bars since 2015, convicted after police found a stash of homemade guns, weapons and child abuse pictures at his home.

Officers were acting on a tip that Hol, then 25, was planning to shoot up a shopping centre.

Michael James Holt will be released next year.

Police found a huge stash of Nazi material during a raid at Holt’s house, including a White Pride flag, Nazi flag, an SD card with videos including: ‘How to make Prussic Acid — a lethal toxin — and Home Workshop Guns for Defence and Resistance.

Despite spending five years behind bars and undertaking a handful of courses, there had been no change in Holt’s belief in ‘Reich Law’, a court judgment shows.

“A troubling result was that the defendant’s risk mitigating protective factors were assessed as minimal given that no shift in ideology had been observed,” a Supreme Court judgment released on Thursday shows.

A Corrective Services report worryingly found Holt was on a “pathway towards an act of violent extremism”.

A decommissioned German Lugar pistol found at Holt’s house.

Supervision orders, including strict rules such as curfews and internet bans, are used as a last resort to supervise our state’s most violent criminals.

Supreme Court Justice Natalie Adams said in her decision she was “satisfied to a high degree” that Holt posed an unacceptable risk of committing a terror offence if he was unsupervised upon release.

But before deciding whether she would grant the supervision order, Judge Adams ordered Holt to undertake a psychiatric and psychology report.

Holt has been refused parole, with his final release date in September next year. He is due to apply for parole again before February.

The Crown submitted facts to support their argument, including a report from prison psychologist Katrina Czerkies, who said Holt had tried to recruit prisoners.

Knuckle dusters, ammo and homemade guns found during a raid on his home in 2015.

“He was also observed trying to recruit people in custody … he was observed performing the ‘Hitler Salute’ when entering a group program session,” Ms Czerkies wrote.

Worryingly, this year he told a prisoner that associating with “like-minded” people was “too risky, especially with what I’m doing”.

He said his “boss” told him it would be compulsory for him to be “re-educated” upon release, the court judgment shows.

Holt has also pleaded guilty to drawing child abuse pictures in jail of himself and little children, which he will be sentenced for next month.

The judgment reveals one of the pictures depicted a man with a wolf’s head and the defendant’s distinctive blonde mohawk, which a psychologist considered to be a drawing of Holt, holding a leash attached to a female child in military boots and underwear.