A police raid on the home of an alleged neo Nazi leader uncovered a disturbing book outlining how fascists could foment a Nazi revolution in Australia with assassinations, indiscriminate terror bombings and the murder of “soft targets”, a court has heard.
Detectives raided the unit of Cameron Brodie-Hall, the alleged neo-Nazi leader of alleged South Australian fascist cell SA Men’s Health Club, in April 2021 and allegedly found the book in the communal area of the home, which Mr Brodie-Hall shared with two other men.
Standing in the dock at Adelaide District Court on Tuesday, Mr Brodie-Hall pleaded not guilty to possessing the book, which the prosecution argued could be of practical use to someone preparing an a terrorist act.
Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton QC, speaking before Judge Paul Muscat, said the book offered a practical guide for national socialists, the technical term for Nazis, to pursue “active resistance” in an war to preserve alleged “Aryan culture”.
The book allegedly recommends four methods of covert direct action including assassinations, terror bombings, the sabotage of infrastructure and terror campaigns directed at “the enemy”.
The court heard the communal bookshelf housed a number of radical books, including dictator Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Police video of the cramped three-bed unit played in court showed a large Nazi flag draped over the bookshelf.
Prosecutor Hinton said when the police returned to Mr Brodie-Hall’s unit in February 2022 they discovered another book listed as extremist material.
“It promotes or supports terrorist acts,” Prosecutor Hinton said.
Prosecutor Hinton said the book praised Timothy McVeigh, the terrorist who murdered 168 people in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in the United States, and argued “revolution” was the only way for Nazis to gain power.
The court heard Mr Brodie-Hall told the police he subscribed to a national socialist worldview, but denied possession of the two books.
Mr Brodie-Hall lived in the home with Jackson Trevor Pay and Duncan Robert Cromb, both of whom have pleaded guilty to possessing extremist material.
Craig Caldicott, appearing for Mr Brodie-Hall, said there was no dispute about his client’s ideology, but rather over the issue of possession of the material, which he said was not found in his client’s bedroom.
Mr Caldicott said his client was not aware of the book promoting covert terror tactics being in the bookcase.
Judge Muscat said the case would depend on whether the prosecution could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Brodie-Hall possessed the material either exclusively or jointly with Mr Pay and Mr Cromb.
The judge-only trial will continue into the week.
Mr Brodie-Hall is on bail and declined to comment when leaving the court on Tuesday.
Mr Brodie-Hall’s appearance in court comes amid a growing swell of Nazi gatherings in Australia.
On Australia Day, men in balaclavas with the National Socialist Network, a Nazi outfit led by convicted criminal Thomas Sewell, were stopped by police at a train station in North Sydney.
The police again broke up meetings of the far-right group at North Turramurra on Saturday evening and Artarmon on Sunday morning.
State legislatures across the country are also moving to tighten laws against the display of Nazi symbols and gestures.
South Australian Attorney-General Kyam Maher introduced legislation to parliament in November 2023 to specifically prohibit public displays of swastikas or the Nazi salute, with fines of up to $20,000 or one year in jail for the offences.
“We have seen increased activity from the neo-Nazi movement around the country which is totally unacceptable,” Mr Maher said.
“This Bill will impose tough new penalties on those who seek to promote this abhorrent ideology and give the police the powers they need to ensure prohibited symbols are swiftly removed.”
The new law contains protections for innocent uses of Nazi symbols, including their good faith use in academia, education and the arts.