A senior member of a South Australian national socialist group found in possession of a small explosive, weapons and extremist material will serve at least 19 months on home detention.
Key points:
- Patrick Patmore has been given a three-year-and-two-month sentence with a non-parole period of 19 months
- Patmore pleaded guilty to his charges in February last year
- The sentence is for six crimes, including taking steps to manufacture an explosive
Patrick Patmore, 34, was this morning given a three-year-and-two-month sentence with a non-parole period of 19 months for six crimes, including taking steps to manufacture an explosive.
District Court Judge Michael Burnett ordered the sentence be served on home detention because of his lack of prior convictions, admission to the offences and fair prospect of rehabilitation.
When police raided Patmore’s home in April 2021, they found a “small and crude” explosive device in his shed, homemade knives, a machete, battle axe and ammunition.
Judge Burnett said he was also in possession of documents detailing ways of “committing a terrorist act”, including techniques for “silent killing” and “household torture”.
He said Patmore also had extremist and far-right material, including the manifesto of Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant.
“The list is too long to read,” he said.
The court heard Patmore is the treasurer of the SA Men’s Health Club — a front for the SA branch of far-right group, the National Socialist Network.
“You told police you were a national socialist, but not an extremist,” Judge Burnett said during sentencing.
“You said you didn’t intend to use the explosive device or the weapons. You told a psychologist you have no interest in terrorism.”
The court heard Patmore made the items “out of boredom and for fun”.
Judge Burnett said there was no evidence Patmore was planning to take any action and accepted his explanation that he had a curiosity with building bombs and weapons, as well as extremist ideologies.
But he said possessing the manuals on how to commit terrorism was a “serious offence”.
“It allows the reader to understand the mechanisms of committing a terrorist act … and the protection of the public is paramount,” he said.
He said Patmore had committed no further offending or breached his bail since his arrest in August 2021.
Joined to be ‘social’
The court heard he remained a member of the National Socialist Network, but had engaged in programs designed to deradicalise extremists.
Prosecutor Taryn Amos asked Judge Burnett to ban Patmore from communicating with any members of the European or Australian movement of the National Socialist Network as part of his sentence.
Lawyers for Patmore opposed, saying he had made “genuine friendships” with other members and joined the group to be social, not because of any political beliefs.
Judge Burnett decided to add the ban to his list of home detention conditions, but gave his corrections officer the power to approve communication requests with certain members “if reasonable”.
