Neo-Nazi Jimeone Roberts blasted for posting anti-Semitic posters in Caulfield

The office of Jewish MP David Southwick was plastered with anti-Semitic posters by a neo-Nazi who slapped dozens of “vile” symbols across Caulfield — but avoided jail.

A neo-Nazi has been blasted for “one of the most disgusting, vile, repugnant acts” after he was caught plastering dozens of anti-Semitic posters across suburban streets.

CCTV captured Jimeone Roberts, 29, slapping more than 50 offensive posters, many featuring the swastika symbol, on signposts, walls and windows along Hawthorn and Balaclava roads in Caulfield on May 12.

The member of the far right political group National Socialist Network also targeted the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre and the office of Jewish MP David Southwick.

CCTV captured Jimeone Roberts plastering posters of the Nazi symbol across Caulfield.

His defiant actions came a day after the Victorian government announced plans to amend the Nazi Symbol Prohibition Bill, which would make it illegal to publicly display the swastika.

Under the change, offenders could be hit with fines of up to $22,000 and 12 months’ prison.

Roberts, from Elwood, fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to posting bills without consent, behaving in an offensive manner and being a public nuisance.

Magistrate David Starvaggi said it was “one of the most disgusting, vile, repugnant acts of anti-Semitism and racial behaviour that I have ever seen”.

“Your behaviour is tantamount to pure evil and vile hatred and that has got no place in modern Australian society and you should be condemned for that,” Mr Starvaggi said.

“Let this be a lesson to you and everyone else out there — it’s repugnant, repulsive behaviour and it has no place in society.”

Roberts was hit with a community corrections order, requiring him to do 200 hours of unpaid community work.

Had he not pleaded guilty on the very first day the case came to court, Mr Starvaggi said he would have sent him to jail for a month.

One of the swastika posters platered in Caulfield.

Another neo-Nazi symbol that was distributed.

Mr Southwick commended the magistrate for “calling out this horrific attack on the Jewish community”.

“This guy didn’t turn up in Caulfield by accident, it was literally the next day (after the Bill announcement),” said Mr Southwick, who questioned whether he was targeted for being “very vocal” in favour of the ban.

Along with his electorate office, Mr Southwick said Jewish businesses were targeted in the attack that he said highlighted the need for “serious consequences when people go about spewing hatred”.

MP David Southwick says Jewish businesses were targeted in the attack. Picture: Sarah Matray

But he raised issue with the six-month education grace period before the law will be enforced.

“It’s the perfect example of why we need to have these laws in place immediately,” he said.

“When someone has deliberately gone about attacking a community, there needs to be consequences.”

With one of the largest populations of Holocaust survivors, including his wife’s family, Mr Southwick said it was “quite personal, not just for me but my electorate of Caulfield”.

Roberts’ co-accused Jack Bell, from Hamilton, also faced court, but had his case adjourned to later this month to allow for further discussions with the prosecution.

Mr Bell’s lawyer Graham Schroeder indicated it would “likely proceed to a plea”, but there were issues around the number of bills posted and the nature of some of them.