Bizarre detail in Woollahra anti-Semitic ‘hate crime’ revealed

A bizarre detail has been revealed in court after a man was charged over his alleged role in an anti-Semitic graffiti attack.

The two men who allegedly carried out a “racially motivated” “hate crime” when a car was torched and vehicles and buildings were scrawled with anti-Semitic graffiti ditched the car they arrived in and caught an Uber home, a court has been told.

Thomas Stojanovski, 20, on Wednesday morning was granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court after being charged over the graffiti attack in which one car was set alight and 10 vehicles and three properties were vandalised at Woollahra in Sydney’s east in November last year.

The buildings and properties – including Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant – were spray painted with slogans including “f**k Israel” and “PKK coming”.

After spending more than three months in custody on remand, Mr Stojanovski was on Wednesday released by Justice Julia Lonergan on conditional bail including that he abide by house arrest.

Thomas Stojanovski was arrested at Arncliffe over his alleged role in an anti-Semitic graffiti attack. Picture: NSW Police

Mr Stojanovski has made no admission about his alleged involvement in the attack and his lawyers have described the case against him as weak, the court was told.

“What occurred on that night were planned and focused hate crimes. Racially motivated attacks on property make the community unsafe,” Justice Lonergan said in a decision handed down on Wednesday morning.

“Hate slogans directed to a group of people dehumanises that target group and labels them worthy of hate.

“Targeted attacks of this kind against any person or group of people creates fear and loathing, states of mind that destabilise, damage and render unsafe our community as a whole.”

The Crown prosecution argued that Mr Stojanovski was one of two men captured on CCTV during the attack and could be identified by a cast on his left wrist.

Pictures of his arrest show he had a cast on his left arm at the time.

The Chiswick restaurant was damaged during the graffiti attack. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper.

Emergency services raced to Wellington St, Woollahra just after midnight on November 21 last year after a car was set alight.

Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the fire but the car was destroyed, with another vehicle also receiving minor damage as a result of the blaze.

Cars along Wellington, Tara, Fullerton and Ocean streets were defaced and the total damage bill was estimated by police to be up to $100,000.

The court was that one man could be seen spray painting their targets while another held a torch and acted as a lookout.

Justice Lonergan said it was alleged the two men arrived in a vehicle, which was left at the scene.

Fingerprints matching Mr Stojanovski were found on the inside and outside of the vehicle, the court was told.

At the time of the offences, Mr Stojanovski’s mobile phone was connected to cell towers in the Woollahra area, Justice Lonergan said.

The court was told the two men allegedly left the area in an Uber.

Buildings and cars were spray painted with anti-Semitic graffiti during the attack. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Ten cars were damaged. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

Mr Stojanovski was arrested at his Arncliffe home a week later before being charged with 21 offences, including 14 counts of destroying or damaging property, three counts of entering land with intent to commit an indictable offence and two counts of destroying property using fire.

Justice Lonergan said she was satisfied that the risks posed by Mr Stojanovski could be addressed by strict bail conditions.

She noted his case might not be finalised for between nine to 18 months.

“The months in custody in an adult facility have no doubt been salutary,” Justice Lonergan said.

“He would know that he will be observed and any breach of bail will return him to that place.”

Mr Stojanovski was released on bail amounting to house arrest and must appear in court on April 22, report to police daily, only leave the house in the company of his parents, hand over his passport, not drink alcohol and not approach his co-accused or prosecution witnesses.

He is also banned from entering Woollahra or going within 500m of an international airport.