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Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell found guilty of intimidating police officer by threatening to dox him Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell found guilty of intimidating police officer by threatening to dox him
(about 2 hours later)
Police officer gave evidence to Melbourne court hearing about feeling ‘highly anxious’ over his and his family’s safety after Sewell’s podcast commentsPolice officer gave evidence to Melbourne court hearing about feeling ‘highly anxious’ over his and his family’s safety after Sewell’s podcast comments
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A neo-Nazi leader is facing jail time after he was found guilty of intimidating police by hurling insults and threatening to publicly release personal information about an officer and his wife. A neo-Nazi leader has been handed a community work order for intimidating a police officer and his wife.
Thomas Sewell, 32, represented himself in a contested hearing against the charges at Melbourne magistrates court, which ran for more than a week. Thomas Sewell, 32, was on Friday found guilty of three charges of intimidation of a law enforcement officer, and his wife, over targeted threats to expose his personal information.
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 2 September. He faced Melbourne magistrates court in person, from the court dock while on remand for separate matters.
The hearing recommenced and Sewell continued to represent himself from behind glass in the court dock, flanked by security officers. Sewell threatened 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.
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 fucking idiot.”“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 fucking idiot.”
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The police officer gave evidence to the hearing about feeling “highly anxious” about his and his family’s safety.The police officer gave evidence to the hearing about feeling “highly anxious” about his and his family’s safety.
“I didn’t know what he was going to do with that information,” he told the court.“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.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.“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.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. But magistrate Michelle Hodgson rejected these arguments, finding he had targeted the officer’s private life.
“There were threats of doxing, openly contemplating circulating this material,” she told the court. Hodgson found he had “sought to weaponise personal information, personal insult and public exposure to instil fear” in the officer and his wife.
“There is evidence of personal animosity and insult, calling him a fucking asshole, and including his wife and family – that went well beyond political accountability.” His offending was “objectively very serious”, she said as she shut down Sewell’s claim it was at the lower end.
“Police officers are front line forces of the law, if they are intimidated from carrying out their duties – because of threats of exposure, humiliation or retaliation – the justice system itself is undermined,” she told the court.
“A threat to dox can expose family, friends and home life, it uses technology to make private information available to a potentially hostile audience.
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She said Sewell’s comments did not constitute legitimate engagement in political discussion or communication about public affairs and police accountability. “Once online, it’s virtually impossible to contain.”
“Mr Sewell … has sought to weaponise personal information, personal insult and public exposure to instil fear, and used … speech as intimidation rather than as political communication,” she said. She said the maximum term of 10 years in prison for the offending, or two years if heard in the magistrates court, reflected the offending involved “a high degree of harm and trauma”.
Hodgson found him guilty of three charges of intimidation against a police officer and his 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. However, Hodgson decided not to hand Sewell any prison time.
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. She ordered he complete 200 hours of community work over 18 months, which will commence once he is released from custody for the separate offending.
He will face a plea hearing on Friday afternoon. Sewell had self-represented in a contested hearing over the charges, which ran for more than a week.
A number of Sewell’s supporters, including Jacob Hersant, attended the court or watched online on Friday. On day two of the hearing, on 2 September, he was arrested outside the court over an alleged attack on an Indigenous protest site, known as Camp Sovereignty, and taken into custody.
After the ruling broke for lunch, after 1.15pm, police were seen arresting another member of Sewell’s neo-Nazi group outside the court. Hodgson found him guilty of intimation against a police officer and his wife, earlier on Friday, and also guilty of two counts of contravening personal safety orders.
He was found not guilty of two other contraventions of those orders, and of failing to comply with a police direction to hand over passwords to his devices.