‘Frightening’ synagogue ram attack not a hate crime
A man who subjected the Jewish community to a “frightening and disturbing act” has had hate crime allegations dropped due to drug use and mental illness.
Matthew Alexander Donald de Campo was accused of wilful damage in circumstances of aggravation of a hate crime following an incident at the Brisbane Synagogue.
The Sunnybank man was arrested shortly after he partially knocked down the front gate of the synagogue with his ute on the evening of February 20, causing $12,000 in damage.
De Campo faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday when prosecutors requested the hate crime element of his charge be removed.
He pleaded guilty to wilful damage as well as one count each of possession of methamphetamine and possessing a drug-smoking pipe.
Police statements supported an argument that de Campo was too intoxicated at the time of the incident to form a motivation of hatred or serious contempt for a group of people, the magistrate was told.
“It’s not really like he’s obviously cray cray, it’s probably more drugs,” an officer said during an encounter with de Campo in a cemetery prior to the synagogue incident.
De Campo had fallen into drug use following a serious workplace injury, defence barrister Gregory McGuire KC said.
He was found to have experienced drug-induced psychosis in the months leading up to his arrest but was eager to start rehabilitation and not a safety threat when sober, a prison psychiatrist found.
De Campo drove to the Brisbane Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the centre of Brisbane, the court was told.
After his vehicle came to a stop in front of the premises, he was seen reversing at speed into the locked gates and then fleeing.
A pipe and a “minute but usable” amount of methamphetamine was found with de Campo after a 90-minute police search of the Brisbane CBD.
A member of the congregation was standing behind the gate at the time but no one was injured during the incident, the court was earlier told.
The incident was initially treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime based on de Campo’s alleged statements to police.
He allegedly referenced the Bondi shootings during his police interview, which came two months after the terrorist attack that killed 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
Magistrate Megan Power however, noted his genuine remorse for his “frightening and disturbing act for the Jewish community”.
She also took into account excellent progress in drug rehabilitation.
“Clearly you were in a very poor state in terms of your mental health ... you appeared to be delusional and paranoid,” Power said.
She sentenced him to six months in jail, with immediate release on parole due to 83 days already served in custody.
De Campo, who was granted bail in May to attend a drug rehab and mental health centre, walked from the court building.
AAP
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