Racists in bashing plot, court told
By Roy Gibson
The West Australian
2 June 2006

Two witnesses due to testify against white supremacist Jack van Tongeren and Matthew Billing were to be threatened and bashed so they never made it to court, Perth Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday.

A police investigation into the Australian Nationalist Movement uncovered the alleged plot thanks to bugged conversations when a Perth teenager visited Mr Billing and Mr van Tongeren at Hakea Prison.

Police arrested Beau James Kingston, 18, at his home in Carlisle, on Thursday. He was refused bail yesterday when he appeared on a charge of conspiring to pervert justice.

He is in court again on June 20 alongside Mr Billing, 35, who has been charged with the same offence. Mr van Tongeren has not been charged.

Sgt Neil Barry, prosecuting, said Mr Billing and Mr van Tongeren were awaiting trial for criminal damage and conspiring to firebomb four Chinese restaurants.

Sgt Barry told the court that earlier this year, one of the prosecution witnesses became concerned for his safety after being told by Mr Billing: “I don’t know what you have said but it will come back and bite you on the arse.”

Sgt Barry said that in April the State Security Investigation Gorup began inquiries into the ANM and learnt that Lek Johnson and Mr Kingston had been told they were now running the ANM. Mr Johnson was in charge and Mr Kingston assisting.

On May 26, Mr Kingston visited Mr Billing in prison and their conversation was bugged. It was alleged they discussed threatening two male witnesses so they would not attend court.

Sgt Barry said the suggested methods included intimidating and assaulting one of the witnesses, seriously assaulting the other witness to make him “comatose”, and burning down the home of one of the men’s parents.

Later, Mr Kingston visited Mr van Tongeren and said he had “something planned” for a witness, Sgt Barry said.

The court also heard that at Mr Kingston’s home, police found ANM and racist material as well as mobile telephones, knives, balaclavas and baseball bats.

Defence lawyer Hylton Quails ubmitted that his client was impressionable and very junior in the organisation.