A man facing 53 hate-related charges, including allegations of spray-painting Nazi symbols across Sydney’s inner west, has been refused bail after a magistrate stated that imprisonment is a “likely” outcome if he is convicted.
Felix Kiera, 21, was arrested earlier this month following an alleged graffiti spree. He faces 21 counts of drawing Nazi symbols and 23 counts of property damage.
Warning: This article contains an image of a Nazi symbol.
Kiera is accused of vandalising various sites on six different occasions. These include the Pride Square installation in Newtown, political posters for The Greens and the Socialist Alliance, and an LGBTQ welcome sign at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville.
He appeared via audio-visual link in Newtown Local Court on Tuesday. His lawyer, Bill Neild SC, entered not guilty pleas to all charges and requested bail.
Mr Neild proposed strict bail conditions, such as a curfew and a requirement for Kiera to live with his parents, arguing these measures would address any concerns raised by the prosecution. He emphasised that, although the charges involve offensive content, they do not include any physical violence.
Concerns Over Detention
The court was informed that Kiera has only one previous offence on record, which was of a similar nature. Magistrate Alexander Mijovich noted that he had previously fined Kiera for performing a Nazi salute in public.
“These matters are of a nature that can incite violence against various members of the community,” the magistrate stated.
Mr Neild described his client as a young man dealing with mental health challenges and argued that the time Kiera is likely to spend in custody awaiting trial could exceed any sentence eventually handed down if convicted.
He also assured the court that Kiera’s parents would inform police of any breaches of bail conditions.
However, the police prosecutor opposed bail, arguing the offences were among the more severe of their kind and posed a risk to community safety. The prosecutor added that the incidents took place in the early hours of the morning on April 22 and were “clearly intended to incite hatred.”
Magistrate Mijovich ultimately denied bail, stressing the need to protect the public and describing the charges as “serious.”
“Based on the evidence before me, the prosecution has a strong case,” he said.
“I issued warnings to Mr Kiera in January to reconsider his actions. In my opinion, a custodial sentence is likely.”
The matter has been adjourned until late June.
