BRISBANE, Australia โ A man who drove a vehicle through the gates of Brisbane’s largest synagogue has been sentenced after pleading guilty to wilful damage, with prosecutors withdrawing an allegation that the incident constituted an aggravated hate crime.
Matthew Alexander Donald de Campo pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to wilful damage and drug-possession offenses stemming from the February 20 incident at Brisbane Hebrew Congregation.
The court heard that De Campo drove through the synagogue’s gates, causing approximately A$12,000 in damage.
The incident initially prompted significant concern within Brisbane’s Jewish community and was investigated by Queensland Police amid heightened security concerns surrounding Jewish institutions.
However, the hate-crime aggravation originally attached to the case was ultimately withdrawn.
No judicial finding established that De Campo targeted the synagogue because it was Jewish or that the incident was motivated by antisemitism.
Court Hears Of Paranoia And Methamphetamine Use
The court heard evidence that De Campo was experiencing severe paranoia and delusions around the time of the incident amid methamphetamine use.
His mental state and drug use became significant factors during sentencing.
The circumstances distinguished the case from an ideologically motivated attack, despite the seriousness of a vehicle being driven through the entrance of a Jewish house of worship.
The withdrawal of the hate-crime allegation means De Campo was not convicted of an offense aggravated by religious hatred.
That distinction is particularly important given the initial alarm surrounding the incident and the broader concern about antisemitic attacks against Jewish institutions in Australia.
Six-Month Sentence
De Campo was sentenced to six months in prison.
He was granted immediate parole after the court took into account the 83 days he had already spent in custody and his completion of residential drug rehabilitation.
The sentence followed his guilty pleas to wilful damage and drug-possession offenses.
The approximately A$12,000 in damage to Brisbane Hebrew Congregation resulted from the vehicle crashing through the property’s gates.
While the location of the incident inevitably raised concerns about a possible antisemitic motive, the final court proceedings did not establish one.
The case therefore concluded as a property-damage and drug-related prosecution rather than an antisemitic hate-crime conviction.
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