Rex Martinich
A man accused of ramming a synagogue’s gate in an alleged anti-Semitic attack and later referencing the Bondi shootings will undergo a psychiatric assessment for his bail application.
Matthew Alexander Donald De Campo was arrested shortly after he allegedly partially knocked down the front gate of Brisbane Synagogue with a Toyota HiLux at 7.16pm on February 20.
The 32-year-old Sunnybank man was charged with wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime and has pleaded not guilty.
De Campo applied for bail in Queensland Supreme Court on Friday.
Justice Soraya Ryan heard police had referred to De Campo having drug-fuelled delusions and fixations on various religions, not just the Jewish faith.
The crown prosecutor opposed bail and said De Campo had past convictions involving knives and replica handguns.
“In this particular climate of offences being committed against Jewish people, and he himself references Bondi, the risk of re-offending and the risk to safety of others cannot be ameliorated,” the prosecutor said.
Defence barrister Gregory McGuire said a conviction for property damage as an aggravated hate crime required it be “wholly or partly motivated by hatred or serious intent on the basis of religion”.
The hate crime allegation came from parts of a police interview where De Campo was clearly significantly affected by drugs, McGuire previously said.
Police in a previous encounter with De Campo in a cemetery described him as having “just fried himself” on unknown drugs and being “out of his mind”.
De Campo was not present in court, but he was supported by his parents in the public gallery.
Ryan was shown CCTV of the incident where De Campo allegedly reversed a black ute with silver tray at speed into the gate before quickly driving off.
A member of the congregation was standing behind the gate at the time but no one was injured during the incident.
De Campo sought to reside at a drug rehab and mental health clinic if he was granted bail.
Ryan said she could not grant bail for De Campo “in the absence of a psychiatric opinion that keeping him clean will reduce the risk” from drug-induced psychosis.
McGuire sought for the bail application to be adjourned so De Campo could see the prison psychiatric service.
The bail application could return to court next week and De Campo is due to face trial in December in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
When asked outside court if his client held anti-Semitic views, McGuire said “absolutely not”.
De Campo’s parents did not comment outside court.
