Thomas Sewell, leader of the National Socialist Network, denied an adjournment and will self-represent in his trial over a 2023 white supremacist protest, despite being allowed to keep Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

Thomas Sewell, leader of the National Socialist Network, will be allowed to keep a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf during his upcoming trial for offensive behaviour, despite prosecution objections. Appearing via video from custody on October 24, Sewell sought an adjournment to secure legal representation for three charges tied to a December 3, 2023, protest at Ballarat’s Eureka Stockade Memorial Gardens, where he is accused of leading masked individuals in white supremacist chanting. Magistrate Ronald Saines denied the adjournment, calling it a last-minute request, and ruled Sewell must self-represent. The court also rejected Sewell’s claim that a laptop belonging to fellow member Jacob Hersant contained relevant evidence, deeming the footage immaterial. While allowing Sewell to keep Mein Kampf, the magistrate questioned the prosecution’s plan to use a German history professor as an expert witness, saying the offensiveness of the conduct should be clear to an ordinary person. The trial is set to begin on October 27.