A Victorian man has been found guilty of performing a Nazi salute last October days after the gesture was banned in the state.
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00:00This case was really seen as a test case of Victorian laws, which were passed last year,
00:07which ban making the Nazi salute in public.
00:11Last October, a guy called Jacob Hassant was with a group of neo-Nazis out the front of
00:16the county court of Victoria when he was speaking to reporters.
00:19And at the end of the interview, he said the words, Hail Hitler, and raised his arm in
00:24what appeared to be quite an obvious Nazi salute.
00:27This charged him, but Jacob Hassant fought the case with his lawyers arguing that the
00:32gesture that he made outside the court wasn't a full Nazi salute.
00:37And they also argued that the laws themselves were constitutionally invalid.
00:41Today, a magistrate threw out those arguments saying that it was obvious that Jacob Hassant
00:46was knowingly making a Nazi salute.
00:50And he also said that these kinds of laws were necessary to protect vulnerable community
00:55members.
00:56Jacob Hassant outside court was pretty unrepentant.
00:59He said he would continue to make the Nazi salute.
01:02He just hoped that the police wouldn't see him.
01:05As for the case itself, well, it's going to continue because Jacob Hassant needs to be
01:11sentenced.
01:12The maximum penalty for this offence is actually $23,000 in fines or potentially 12 months
01:20in jail.
01:21And that sentencing process will begin tomorrow and Jacob Hassant will be required to turn
01:26up again to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.