Thomas Sewell refuses to sign bail as alleged neo-nazis face court after Adelaide Australia Day march
The leader of an alleged neo-nazi group refused bail, and one pleaded guilty, as more than a dozen men faced charges after an Australia Day protest. Here’s what happened in court.
The country’s most senior neo-nazi has been granted bail over his alleged role in a disruptive Australia Day protest – but has refused to sign it, saying he is suffering “outright politicial persecution”.
On Tuesday, Thomas Sewell stood in the Adelaide City Watch House’s video link room – despite being told to sit – and addressed the Adelaide Magistrates Court, charged with loitering.
He was one of 15 people who faced court after being arrested for allegedly disrupting peaceful and prearranged marches on Sunday.
The men, from SA, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, WA and Tasmania, were charged with offences ranging from carrying an item of disguise to using a Nazi symbol.
They are the first targets of SA’s tough new anti-Nazi laws with a push to have their controversial symbol declared criminal.
Mr Sewell was handcuffed and wearing the uniform of the National Socialist Network, including an armband bearing its symbol, the Arrow Cross.
That symbol, SA Police allege, is a Nazi insignia banned under the new laws – but Mr Sewell said he was not aware of any connection between it and the ideology.
He also refused to sign any bail agreement that banned him from the Adelaide CBD and from communicating with other members of his group.
“I do not acknowledge nor accept your jurisdiction under the Constitutional laws of this country,” he told Magistrate Luke Davis.
“I do not acknowledge your ability to deny me access to the city of Adelaide as an Australian citizen.
“I have not broken the law, I was peacefully demonstrating and celebrating Australia Day, our national holiday, in public with my friends - who weren’t wearing disguises.”
He said he “wanted it on the record” that “this is outright political persecution by corrupt SA Police officers”.
Police, he said, had “publicly promised” to “use extra-special laws” against the NSN, but he was still “waiting to hear” what those laws were.
Mr Davis said he could only encourage Mr Sewell to sign his bail agreement, calling it “the preferable option”, but noted he was “31 and you make your own choices”.
Mr Sewell replied: “The preferable option would be to live in a democracy.”
He was remanded in custody – unless he signs his bail agreement – until April.
The Advertiser understands that several of the men granted bail on Tuesday afternoon, prior to Mr Sewell, refused to sign their agreements after his hearing. However, they eventually did pledge to follow the court’s conditions and were released, one by one, from the City Watch House.
Fifteen other cases were heard in court on Tuesday, with one pleading guilty and the rest granted bail.
A youth, 16, of Victoria, was granted bail to face the Youth Court in March.
Gavin Begbie, 58, of NSW, was charged with possessing an article of disguise and released on bail to face court at a later date.
One day before the incident, a five-month Advertiser undercover investigation revealed the NSN intended to hold a three-day national conference in Adelaide.
In June 2022, The Advertiser revealed the organisation’s local chapter hid its extremist activities under the cover of the SA Men’s Health Club.
Mason Robbins, 30, WA
On Tuesday, the first man to face court was Mason James Robbins, 30, from Clarkson in WA.
He has yet to plead to one count each of carrying an offensive weapon or article of disguise, and of displaying a Nazi symbol or salute.
The Advertiser understands prosecutors will argue charges of displaying a Nazi symbol arise from their wearing of insignia of the National Socialist Network.
Under SA law, any symbol aligned with Nazi ideology is considered to be a Nazi symbol regardless of when it was first displayed publicly.
This differs from interstate laws, which limit the definition of Nazi symbols to those used in the years proceeding and during World War II.
The maximum penalty for displaying a Nazi symbol in SA is 12 months’ jail or a $20,000 fine.
A police prosecutor said she didn’t oppose Mr Robbins being released on strict conditions but should be banned from returning to the Adelaide CBD or speaking to any member of the NSN.
“On the 26th of January, NSN members from interstate and South Australia assembled in Adelaide in a co-ordinated, public display,” she said.
“The NSN is a right-wing extremist group with national socialist ideology aimed at preparing for a race war, which it believes will usher in a white separatist ethno-state.
“Social media posts instructed members to wear black clothing, hats, face mask and sunglasses.
“The posts said ‘the reason we wear masks is because we represent the ideals of national socialism, it erases our individual identities and absorbs them into the collective nation’.”
“An NSN member then gave a media interview saying they wore masks because otherwise ‘we would lose our jobs’.”
Travis Moran, for Mr Robbins, said he did not oppose the bail conditions except for the non-contact clause.
“Above this issue, lurking the background, is the constitutional protection of the implied freedom of political communication,” he said.
“That’s going to hang across most of the matters here today and I’m concerned by any bail condition that prevents communication between members of a political party.”
The prosecutor replied: “They are not a political party.”
Magistrate Luke Davis released Mr Robbins on $600 bail, banning him from possessing firearms, article of disguise or returning to the Adelaide CBD.
He further banned him from communicating with any NSN member.
He was remanded on bail to appear in court again in March.
Shannen Bartel, 24, SA
The only South Australian man arrested, Shannen George Bartel, 24, of Brompton appeared via video link charged with failing to cease loitering.
As prosecutors asked for the same bail conditions as Mr Robbins to be imposed, Sean Nottle, for Mr Bartel, said that to restrict his client from “the entirety of the CBD” would mean he’d have to travel around the city to get to work.
“He works as a removalist, he has quite a transportable working arrangement, but in my submission Your Honour could do away with geographical restrictions,” Mr Nottle said.
He suggested Mr Davis, instead of banning him from the CBD as a whole, simply restrict his access to other war memorials or statues in Adelaide.
The police prosecutor, however said she was concerned with allowing him access to the CBD, due to it “not being far from Anzac Day”.
The court heard Mr Bartel is currently facing further criminal charges relating to an alleged punch attack in Hindley Street.
Mr Davis said he understood Mr Bartel may need to travel further to get to work, but imposed a ban on him accessing any part of the CBD between South, North, East and West terraces.
He was granted bail in the sum of $600, and will return to court in March.
Nathan Bull, 23, Victoria
Nathan Bull, 23 from Victoria, during his bail hearing questioned the court’s authority to infringe on “his human rights” by restricting his access to the CBD.
“It’s clear that you do understand your bail conditions, but you’re questioning the court’s authority to impose them is that right?” Magistrate Davis asked him.
“Yes,” Mr Bull said.
“How are you able to displace my human rights? I have an implied right to freedom of movement and freedom of communication,” he said.
He was also released on bail to return to court in March.
Richard Tinsley, 37, QLD
Richard Tinsley, of Tarameo in Queensland, was also bailed - but claimed he did not understand his conditions.
“I guess there’s a couple of things - an article of disguise, what exactly does that entail?” he asked.
“Some of my friends were arrested for wearing glasses and hats.”
Mr Davis told him “not to worry about your friends, worry about the position you are in”, and to speak with his lawyer.
James Holliday, 25, WA
James Holliday, 25, from Western Australia told the court he “wasn’t wearing any articles of disguise”, and said he was only carrying a hat and sunglasses.
“I had a bucket hat and sunglasses in my bag,” he said.
He further asked how long he wouldn’t be able to associate with his fellow NSN members, with Mr Davis clarifying he is prohibited from communicating with them nation-wide.
Mr Davis said he was allowed to collect his belongings from where he is staying in Adelaide, before heading back home to Western Australia.
Mr Holliday has the same restriction on visiting the CBD as his co-accused.
Stephen Wells, 56, WA
Stephen Wells, of Broadwater in WA, appeared shirtless and said he did not want bail.
“I do not accept bail conditions, I do not accept the jurisdiction of this court, it has no standing,” he said.
“You can deal with me as you wish.”
He said he wanted to lodge “formal complaints” alleging “unlawful conduct” by SA Police including “kidnap, assault, withholding medical attention and deprivation of liberty”.
He was remanded in custody until March.
Ethan Hendren, 23, Victoria
The court heard Ethan Hendren, of Wantirna South in Victoria, had been sleeping rough in the CBD and parklands prior to Australia Day.
He, too, was banned from those areas and ordered to reside where directed by the Department for Correctional Services while on bail.
Alexander Zaslavsky, 25, Victoria
Alexander Zaslavsky, 25 from Victoria, said he intended to plead not guilty to the charges and asked for a trial date “at the earliest convenience”.
But after Mr Davis granted him bail, he asked the court for “a little bit more time to think about” whether or not to sign the bail agreement.
“Can I have like thirty more minutes to think?” he asked.
Mr Davis agreed, and said he could come back a bit later in the afternoon.
Logan Boucher, 25, Tasmania
Logan Boucher, of Sandford in Tasmania, agreed to comply with his bail conditions but said they raised an issue.
“My contact within the (NSN) organisation is my way out of this state,” he said.
“If I were to sign bail conditions, how would I comply with them?”
Mr Davis granted him permission to speak with that person once, and only to arrange travel.
He encouraged him to seek legal advice, and “deal with this in the way that’s in your best interest”.
“You’ve got no history and you’ve come over here and done a dumb thing,” he said.
“Don’t make a martyr of yourself, languishing in custody... you can still get out (on bail) if you sign that and keep fighting the matter.”
Jacob Cooper, 29, NSW
Jacob Glen Cooper, of Kingswood in NSW, was also bailed to appear again in March.
Asked if he understood his bail conditions, he replied: “I understand what you said.”
Graham Connolly, 41, Victoria
Graham Connolly, 41 from Victoria, argued he was “not trying to disrupt any Australia Day celebrations”.
“Okay, I haven’t found that isn’t true,” Mr Davis said.
“That’s just the allegation. Let’s not worry about that for the moment.”
Mr Connolly was released on bail to return to court in March.
Sean Roberts, 21, NSW
Sean Roberts, of Oatley in NSW, pleaded guilty to one count of loitering.
The court heard he was arrested about 11am on January 26 after being twice told to leave the area of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue.
Mr Roberts, who represented himself, conceded he had been repeatedly asked to leave and did not.
“I was asking the arresting officer exactly what she meant... I thought (loitering) only applied to private property,” he said.
“I explained I had to walk back through the CBD to collect my car and was asking how I could do that... that’s when I was arrested.
“It was a heightened situation and I was asking too many questions.”
He asked to be spared a conviction, given he was seeking to work in the security industry.
Mr Davis recorded a conviction, sentenced Mr Roberts to time already served and ordered he pay court fees.
He said it was ironic that the group committed its offences on a day where Australians celebrate their differences and unity.
“The way you and your mates went about it went over the line and was really abhorrent,” he said.
Joel Davis, 29, Victoria
Joel Davis from South Victoria, who was arrested after attending the court in support of his NSN colleagues earlier on Tuesday, was charged with displaying a Nazi symbol.
He asked the court to allow him to continue residing with Ethan Hendren - who the court earlier heard had been sleeping rough around the Adelaide CBD.
“I won’t be releasing you to reside with him,” Mr Davis said. “He’s staying in South Australia.”
Mr Davis said he needed to collect his belongings from Mr Sewell’s car.
“I’m not sure Mr Sewell will be returning to his car,” the police prosecutor said.
“I’m not sure how that will go, no,” Mr Davis said.
“But I’ll let him work that out.”
Mr Davis was granted bail to return to court in March.
Matthew Pullen, 31, NSW
Matthew Pullen from Benora Point, NSW was silent as he faced charges of carrying an offensive weapon or article of disguise and refusing name and address.
He was granted bail to return to court in March.
More Coverage
Originally published as Thomas Sewell refuses to sign bail as alleged neo-nazis face court after Adelaide Australia Day march
Road rager’s horrific words to woman pinned to pole in crash
A dangerous driver who crashed into a young motorcyclist and pinned her to a Stobie pole told the traumatised, injured woman she “f**king deserves it”, a court has heard.
Read more
Arrest warrant for man accused of eastern suburbs pub rampage
An arrest warrant is out for a man who allegedly caused thousands of dollars of damage to one of Adelaide’s most popular hotels.
Read more