From the West Oz:

Jack van Tongeren is wheeled out of court. Picture by Barry Baker.

Racist collapses at court hearing
Ryan Pedler

White supremacist Jack van Tongeren was taken to hospital by ambulance after he collapsed in a Perth courtroom yesterday.

Mr van Tongeren was led into court by security guards about 10am and walked only a few steps before collapsing in the dock.

The 59-year-old Australian Nationalist Movement leader and fellow ANM members Matthew Peter Billing, 35, and John Anthony Van Blitterswyk, 54, are charged with plotting to firebomb four Chinese restaurants in Perth in 2004.

The men have pleaded not guilty and were in the District Court yesterday for a directions hearing ahead of their trial in February next year.

Mr van Tongeren was helped into a chair and sat shaking and apparently in shock, his eyes watering and his face pale.

When ambulance officers arrived after about 15 minutes, Mr van Tongeren broke down briefly, crying.

The officers put an oxygen mask on him and measured his blood pressure and heart rate.

He was put in a wheelchair and had his legs shackled and an ambulance took him to Royal Perth Hospital for tests. He was discharged about 1pm and taken back to jail.

Mr van Tongeren looked weak and frail and his hair has turned from black to grey-white since police arrested him and Mr Billing in April after they skipped bail and spent six weeks on the run.

Mr van Tongeren and Mr Billing have been in custody since being arrested.

Mr Van Blitterswyk is on bail. The directions hearing has been adjourned until December 20.

Mr van Tongeren ’s friend Dee, who did not provide her surname, and uncle were in court yesterday.

Outside court, Dee said she had been visiting Mr van Tongeren in jail regularly and that he was depressed.

“I expected something like this might happen this morning,” she said. “Jack’s not a well man, physically and mentally. I’m extremely worried about him.”