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Thomas Sewell, a prominent figure in the neo-Nazi movement, is set to face trial regarding a purported assault on a site dedicated to Aboriginal protests.
On Thursday morning, Sewell, aged 33, appeared via video conference before the Melbourne Magistrates Court to address charges related to the incident at Camp Sovereignty.
The accusations suggest that Sewell led a group that invaded the protest site following an anti-immigration demonstration in downtown Melbourne last August.
Members of the group, donning black attire, are alleged to have restrained individuals at the Indigenous camp, subsequently engaging in acts of violence against them.
The altercation reportedly resulted in injuries to three individuals, with one woman sustaining a head wound that necessitated staples, according to previous court disclosures.
Sewell on Thursday formally pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to the incident, including violent disorder, affray and unlawful assault.
He was originally charged with more than 20 offences but prosecutors withdrew most of the charges during Thursday’s hearing.
Magistrate Donna Bakos found the evidence against Sewell was of a sufficient weight to support a conviction.
Sewell only spoke briefly to confirm his plea of not guilty before he was committed to stand trial in the Victorian County Court.
Co-accused Nathan Bull appeared in court where he too pleaded not guilty to offences of violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking and failing to state his name or address.
Bakos also committed Bull to trial and extended the two men’s bail to a County Court directions hearing date in April.
Fellow accused Timothy Holger Lutze, Augustus Coolie Hartigan and Ryan Williams will each contest their charges in a Magistrates Court committal hearing set down for May.
Blake Cathcart, who was also charged over the alleged campsite attack, has pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder and assault with a weapon.
He will face a plea hearing in the County Court in August.
There are a further seven co-accused who are either contesting the charges at a committal hearing or at trial in the County Court, while Jaeden Johnson pleaded guilty in February.
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