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Tara Cosoleto

Neo-Nazi leader to stand trial over alleged camp attack

Thomas Sewell will stand trial over an alleged attack on an Aboriginal protest site. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell has been committed to stand trial over an alleged attack on an Aboriginal protest site.

Sewell, 33, beamed into Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Thursday morning after being charged over the Camp Sovereignty incident. 

It's alleged Sewell led the group that stormed the site after an anti-immigration protest in the Melbourne city centre in August.

The men, dressed in black, allegedly held down occupants of the Indigenous camp before kicking and punching them.

Nathan Bull departs Melbourne Magistrates Court (file)
Nathan Bull was also committed to stand trial. (Jay Kogler/AAP PHOTOS)

Three people were injured, with one woman requiring staples in her scalp to close a wound, the court was previously told.

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.

Timothy Lutze
Timothy Lutze is one of the co-accused who will fight their charges at a committal hearing. (Jay Kogler)

Ms 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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