A neo-Nazi who fantasised about shooting up a shopping centre has been sentenced to at least four and a half years in jail for weapons and child pornography offences, with a judge pointing to his obsession with “sex, guns and death”.
Michael James Holt, 27, pleaded guilty to stockpiling an arsenal of replica pistols, homemade shotguns, slingshots and knuckledusters at his mother’s house in Windsor, his grandfather’s house in Hobartville and at the Tall Timbers Hotel in Ourimbah.
Michael James Holt with some of the weapons seized.
Police also uncovered child abuse material when they raided the three premises in August 2015 following a tip-off, including sexually explicit conversations with a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl and naked images that he sent to them.
Judge Jeffrey McLennan spent more than 10 minutes describing the individual weapons and materials found in boxes, fridges, cupboards and garages seized from the three locations. A sheriff began to yawn.
Michael James Holt, who pleaded guilty to making and possessing prohibited firearms, expressed a desire to shoot up a shopping centre.
Holt, who wore glasses and had shaved the sides of his skull, bowed his head throughout the proceedings. He has been categorised on the autism spectrum but is of average intelligence and not mentally ill.
He had downplayed his interest in guns to the forensic psychiatrists who prepared sentencing reports, telling one: “I don’t see it that different to being interested in cars.”
He also complained that the gun laws in Australia were too restrictive.
But in text messages downloaded from his mobile phone, Holt frequently expressed suicidal and homicidal thoughts and discussed guns and white supremacy.
A home-made ”slam gun” was among several firearms seized from three properties in 2015. NSW POLICE
“Had some homophobic dickhead threaten to punch my head last night at the hotel because he’s scared of guns, he called me a ‘Martin Bryant motherfucker’,” he said in one message.
In another: “I always fantasise about mass homicide when I’m in crowds and crowded places.”
And: “I’ve had enough of this shit – I’m about to lose it. All these c—- need to get butchered.”
The judge said it was difficult to know what was meant by the messages and it was a matter of conjecture whether he would have actually gone through with his fantasies.
The majority of weapons seized were replicas, although they also included five fully functioning weapons that could be fired at close range.
But Judge McLennan said the messages sent to the teenagers were very explicit and he was squarely in the category of sex offender.
“His obsession with sex, guns and death points to a deeply disturbed and disturbing psychology,” Judge McLellan said.
He sentenced Holt to a maximum seven years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of four and a half years.
He will be eligible for parole on March 9, 2020.
“And whether you are released, Mr Holt, will depend entirely upon how the parole board assesses your suitability, having regard to the primary interest of community safety,” Judge McLennan said.
