Ravenswood man pleads guilty to Nazi gesture charge

A man who was charged for giving a Nazi salute outside a club in Ravenswood has pleaded “guilty with good reason”. Read more about the unusual hearing.

Launceston Magistrates Court.

A Launceston magistrate had to repeatedly tell a man to stop speaking over him at a plea hearing on January 15.

Brendan Dudman, 58, pleaded guilty to performing a Nazi gesture and to using abusive language to a police officer.

Without legal representation, Dudman said he was “guilty with good reason”.

Dudman claimed he had been previously assaulted by police, been administered drugs without consent and had been treated worse than a dog by police.

“I don’t want to live in this society no more,” he said.

“It’s a joke, that’s why I’m so angry. I want to go to the bush and die.”

He was told to keep his submissions relevant to the matters.

Brendan Dudman, 58, was charged with making a Nazi gesture.

While Magistrate Ken Stanton read out the charges, Dudman interrupted asking the magistrate to slow down.

“We’re not all Einstein’s,“ he said.

Dudman argued about the origins of charge of a Nazi salute and the police act which was from 1935.

He continued to argue and gesture.

Magistrate Stanton told Dudman to be quiet.

“Don’t turn your back on me,” the magistrate told Dudman.

When police prosecutor Jack Fawdrey was about to start to read out the summary, Dudman said “don’t tell lies about the other one.”

Again the Magistrate had to address Dudman’s behaviour.

“Your demeanour at the moment is unacceptable,” he said.

“You will not talk across me.”

The incident took place on December 4, 2024 at 6.20pm, a police car pulled into the over 50’s club in Lambert Street in Ravenswood.

Dudman was in the car park where we started gesturing and yelling towards police officers.

He then performed the Nazi salute and said “Heil Hitler”, the bar was open and this was in front of members of the public.

He was arrested and restrained, he told police “well then, don’t dictate to me then.”

Dudman called the police officers “wanker, clown, f**wit and uneducated.”

Dudman claimed this was because the driving officer had taken their eyes off the road.

Magistrate Stanton said Dudman “clearly had a problem with police.

“You continue to talk over me in any event,” he said.

Dudman was fined just under $600 – he then proceeded to pull out a large wad of $100 bills and counted out six to pay the fine.

Magistrate Stanton told Dudman he could not pay the fine here.

Before leaving with his cash, Dudman threw his birth certificate onto the table claiming it was a fraudulent document.

Originally published as Ravenswood man pleads guilty to Nazi gesture charge