A neo-Nazi leader is facing jail time in Australia after he was found guilty of intimidating police by hurling insults and threatening to publicly release personal information about an officer and his wife.
New Zealand-born Thomas Sewell, 32, represented himself in a contested hearing against the charges at Melbourne Magistrates Court, which ran for more than a week.
He was arrested outside the court over a separate matter – an alleged attack on an Indigenous site – and taken into custody while the proceeding was happening on September 2.
The hearing re-commenced and Sewell continued to represent himself from behind glass in the court dock, flanked by security officers.
Sewell is accused of threatening to "dox" a police officer and his wife on podcasts in October and November last year, including threats to release personal information and wedding photos.
"I'm working out how to dox him because those doxing laws haven't come into effect yet," he told a podcast.
"Like his wedding photos, we've got it all downloaded, he's a f***ing idiot."
The police officer gave evidence to the hearing about feeling "highly anxious" over his and his family's safety.
"I didn't know what he was going to do with that information," he told the court.
The officer's wife did not give evidence in person to the hearing, but her statement was handed to the court.
"I felt really intimidated and threatened, I felt like we were in danger," she said.
Sewell claimed he was holding police to account and using his implied "freedom of communication" about public affairs when he spoke about the officer and his family.
However, magistrate Michelle Hodgson on Friday found Sewell guilty of police intimidation and rejected his arguments, finding he had targeted the private life of the officer.
"There were threats of doxing, openly contemplating circulating this material," she told the court.
"There is evidence of personal animosity and insult, calling him a f***ing asshole, and including his wife and family – that went well beyond political accountability."
She said Sewell's comments did not constitute legitimate engagement in political discussion or communication about public affairs and police accountability.
"Sewell ... has sought to weaponise personal information, personal insult and public exposure to instil fear, and used a speech as intimidation rather than as political communication," she said.
Hodgson found him guilty of three charges of intimation against a police officer and their wife, which can carry a term of imprisonment.
She further ruled he was guilty of two counts of contravening personal safety orders, in November 2024, and not guilty of two other offences regarding contravention of those orders.
The magistrate found there was not enough evidence to prove Sewell failed to comply with police direction to hand over passwords to his devices during a warrant and found him not guilty of that offence.
He will face a plea hearing on Friday afternoon.
Sewell's supporters, including Jacob Hersant, attended the court or watched online on Friday.
After the ruling broke for lunch, after 1.15pm, police were seen arresting another member of Sewell's neo-Nazi group outside the court.
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