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<\/a><\/p>\nUnited Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell tells court of media-caused stress
\nWayne Flower
\nHerald Sun
\nApril 4, 2018<\/p>\n
UNITED Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell has poured his heart out in an effort to have his County Court appeal over a hate crime delayed.<\/p>\n
Cottrell was convicted and fined $2000 last September for knowingly engaging in conduct with the intention of inciting serious contempt for or revulsion of a class of people, namely Muslims, under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.<\/p>\n
He immediately appealed the decision, but has been delaying the hearing ever since.<\/p>\n
The burly frontman told Judge Mark Dean today that he wasn\u2019t ready to proceed because of the media attention he had suffered since being charged with the offence.<\/p>\n
Cottrell claimed he had been labelled a neo-Nazi by various media organisations, which he was planning to sue for defamation.<\/p>\n
He further claimed the stress had caused him problems with his employer, forced him to relocate and ended his relationship.<\/p>\n
Cottrell was among the first to be convicted of the crime since the Act came into force in 2001.<\/p>\n He and supporters Neil Erikson and Christopher Neil Shortis were charged in 2015 after they made a video protesting the construction of a mosque in Bendigo in which they beheaded a dummy with a toy sword and spilt fake blood on the footpath outside Bendigo City Council offices.<\/p>\n In finding the men guilty, Magistrate John Hardy condemned their behaviour, declaring they had each \u201ccrossed the line\u201d.<\/p>\n Crown prosecutors opposed the application to adjourn today\u2019s hearing, declaring the case was ready to be put.<\/p>\n The opposition saw Cottrell change tack, claiming the personal distress caused to him by the media had delayed him finding adequate legal representation for his appeal.<\/p>\n He told the court his legal defence needed to be \u201creformed\u201d as his matter was now being heard individually.<\/p>\n Cottrell said he believed the media attention in his matter had subsided since his conviction and he hoped to now be able to concentrate on obtaining a barrister to represent him.<\/p>\n Prosecutors agreed he should be allowed time to find a barrister and Judge Dean obliged.<\/p>\n Cottrell smiled for a photo as he left the County Court.<\/p>\n He will reappear in court in July.<\/p>\n See also<\/em> : Quotations From Chairman Blair Cottrell<\/a> (July 27, 2015) \/\/\/ Blair Cottrell : \u201d \u2026 and I started getting arrested after I did that.\u201d #Fortitude \/\/\/ #UnitedPatriotsFront<\/a> (February 23, 2016) \/\/\/ #7SummerOfNazis : The True Blue Crew & Co. Go Hunting Blacks While Channel 7 Cheers<\/a> (January 16, 2018) \/\/\/ The \u2018crying Nazi\u2019 from Charlottesville now says he\u2019s an FBI informant<\/a>, Luke Barnes, Think Progress, March 28, 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the record, from The Department of Crying Nazis: United Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell tells court of media-caused stress Wayne Flower Herald Sun April 4, 2018 UNITED Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell has poured his heart out in an … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n