Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell found guilty of brutal assault on Channel 9 security guard
A court has rejected Thomas Sewell’s claims of self-defence from when he repeatedly belted a Channel 9 security guard outside the network’s Docklands studios.
Police & Courts
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A Neo-Nazi leader faces jail after being found guilty of “brutally punching” a Channel 9 security guard following a “disgusting racial taunt”.
Thomas Sewell’s claims of self-defence have been rejected by a court, which instead found he was “itching for a fight” when he repeatedly belted his victim outside the network’s Docklands studios in March 2021.
Magistrate Stephen Ballek on Tuesday found the 29-year-old guilty of affray and recklessly causing injury and commended the victim for his “considerable self-control” in the face of racial abuse, where he was referred to as a “monkey”.
Sewell, who founded the far-right European Australia Movement, argued he acted in self-defence when he hit the unsuspecting security guard in the back of the head.
But his claims were debunked by footage from his own cameraman mate, Jacob Hersant, who captured the entire saga on film as the pair went to confront A Current Affair producers.
The two men went to the network’s studios because of a story Sewell claimed falsely labelled his organisation as terrorists, and failed to seek a right of reply.
Filming inside the Channel 9 building, the security guard approached the pair and asked them to stop filming and leave, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard.
While escorting the duo outside, the guard, seemingly trying to remain upbeat and diffuse the situation as the camera continued rolling, made a dance motion.
Footage showed Mr Hersant respond to this goodwill gesture by saying, “Dance monkey, dance”.
“Watch yourself, bro, I’m not a dance monkey,” the security guard replied, as there was some pushing between the pair.
At this moment, the court found Sewell sprung into action, moving with speed towards the security guard and hitting him with a “flurry of punches” as he fell backwards and cracked his head on the pavement.
Mr Ballek said it seemed that the very second Sewell saw physical contact, he “leapt in with sustained and unjustified violence, which you later sought to justify as warranted to defend your friend”.
His Honour said this was evident by Sewell’s parting words to his victim: “You f***ed with the wrong person.”
Sewell had claimed he was acting in self-defence after the security officer grabbed Mr Hersant by the throat.
But Mr Ballek rejected that claim, instead finding the pair had been “goading” the victim from the start and been acting provocatively.
His Honour said the video evidence had graphically showed the “disturbing nature of a strong man punching an unsuspecting victim to the face”.
The security guard, who had to be treated in hospital for swelling and bruising to the head, declined to make a victim impact statement.
Sewell, who has no prior convictions and is on bail, will return to court on January 12, 2023, for a presentence hearing.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich labelled the guilty finding a “thundering victory for justice, decency and our shared values of equality and respect for all people”.
The leading anti-hate campaigner was interviewed by A Current Affair for the story that Sewell went to the Channel 9 studio over.
In that March 2021 interview, Dr Abramovich said he had grave concerns over neo-Nazi groups in Australia.
He called the court’s findings a “blow to the solar plexus of a dangerous and resurgent Australian neo-Nazi movement”.
“The brutal attack we saw last year was hatred pure and simple, and plainly demonstrated that where white-supremacists gather, violence usually follows. This important decision sends the unmistakable message to Thomas Sewell and other Hitler worshippers that their evil ideology of antisemitism and hardcore bigotry will never find a safe haven in our nation. This ugly phenomenon of ‘Final Solutionists’, individuals with malice in their hearts who dream of building gas chambers in Melbourne and other cities, poses a whole of society challenge and is a clear and present danger to our pluralistic way of life.”
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