Ex-Neighbours star ordered to write apology letter for Nazi salute

A former Australian soap star has been told to apologise to the Jewish community for performing a Nazi salute in public.

Ex-Neighbours actor Damien Richardson, 56, was found guilty in November of intentionally performing the gesture while delivering a speech at a ticketed event.

He attended Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for a pre-sentence hearing, supported by his mother and others.

Damien Richardson outside Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.Credit: AAP

Richardson, a former political candidate, was delivering a speech at Urban St restaurant in Melbourne’s south-east in September 2024 when he made a Nazi salute.

The offence can carry a fine of up to $23,000 or 12 months in jail, but on Thursday, magistrate Justin Foster said he wanted to inquire about whether restorative justice was a more appropriate punishment for Richardson.

“A true Nazi supporter is not going to go to the Holocaust Museum, speak to a survivor and potentially write a letter of apology to the Jewish community,” he told the court.

“There needs to be a bit of restorative justice in this case towards the Jewish community.”

He asked Richardson’s lawyer to approach the Executive Council of Australian Jewry about preparing a court-enforceable letter of apology for his actions.

“That might be the best way forward for some restorative justice. If not agreed to, there are other options on the table,” Foster said.

The magistrate said the letter could be used as part of a six- to 12-month adjourned undertaking of good behaviour.

Foster had queried whether Richardson understood the impact of his actions on the Jewish community.

“There is a massive failure of leadership in this country in relation to protecting the Jewish community,” Foster said. “I want a bit of understanding being shown by your client and to convey that to the Jewish community.”

Defence lawyer Peter Monagle said it was not Richardson’s intention to hurt the Jewish community and agreed to make calls as suggested by the magistrate.

Richardson’s speech was to a gathering of the National Workers Alliance. A transcript of the event revealed they planned to discuss “the undermining of Western culture”.

Members of neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network were in the crowd as Richardson spoke.

Richardson discussed how there was a “war on men” and “war on Western tradition, Western values” in the speech, which was livestreamed to social media.

He then complained about The Age likening him “to Adolf Hitler” before performing the Nazi gesture.

“Am I allowed to do that?” he told the group.

“Am I going to be fined? Am I going to jail for five years? Oh, Richardson did the salute. I mean this is absurd. This is insane. It’s crazy.”

Mr Monagle had argued at a contested hearing the gesture was performed for genuine “artistic or theatrical purposes” because his client was a former actor.

On Thursday, the defence lawyer said Richardson had “no means of income” because he had lost his NDIS accreditation because of the offending.

He claimed Richardson had performed the salute in the context of being criticised by The Age for fascist idealism.

“There was no Nazi fascist underlying motive in what he did,” Monagle said.

“He believed he was exercising a right to answer back to The Age in a satirical way.”

Foster replied: “He’s chosen an incredibly poor way to do that.”

The matter was adjourned to December 19 for the defence to gather further material.

AAP

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