A man police say is the leader of Australia’s nationalist socialist movement is to fight charges he assaulted a security guard outside Nine’s office building in Melbourne.
Thomas Sewell appeared in an online hearing before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, accused of repeatedly punching the guard on March 1.
Police say Mr Sewell and a friend went to the network’s office building in Docklands – which also houses The Age – and demanded to see staff from A Current Affair, which was to broadcast a report that night about the pair’s group.
Police allege that when the guard escorted the two men from the building, Mr Sewell repeatedly punched him. Mr Sewell is charged with affray, recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault.
On Tuesday magistrate John Hardy read an application written by Mr Sewell’s lawyers and said the accused man disputed the police version of events and also claimed he was acting in defence of another person. Mr Sewell’s friend filmed the clash with the guard but was not charged.
Mr Sewell’s lawyer, Kieran Reynolds, confirmed the defence sought to contest the charges in a hearing next year.
The magistrate adjourned the case to May 20 and extended Mr Sewell’s bail but warned the accused man he ran the risk of being remanded if he was charged with further criminal offences.
Read the article by Adam Cooper in The Age.