Damian Arkeveld spared more jail after drunkenly spraying antisemitic graffiti in Dalkeith, Nedlands, Dianella

A man who sprayed antisemitic graffiti across three Perth suburbs has been spared more time behind bars, with the magistrate saying she was “utterly baffled” why he spread “displays of hate”. Damian Joshua Arkeveld, 27, daubed the words “f... Jews” and a swastika on the perimeter wall of a Dalkeith home and “WA Labor nazis” on a real estate sign outside another residence about 400m away. At his sentencing on Wednesday, Magistrate Melita Medcalf described his messaging as “confused” and “blurred”, revealing he visited Anne Frank’s house in The Netherlands last year in a bid to educate himself about the holocaust. He also visited the German city of Berlin. “I am utterly baffled as to how and why you would spread such vitriol,” Ms Medcalf said as he watched on via video link from the maximum-security Casuarina Prison. He has been there for the past 42 days after being denied bail at his first court appearance when police prosecutor Sgt James Somers said the case against him was strong — with anti-Semitic messages including “Hitler was correct” found on his phone. Arkeveld denied then — and continues to deny — holding antisemitic beliefs. His lawyer Jack Hudson said he was black-out drunk, which he did when he was stressed, and could not remember committing the crimes. The magistrate deemed that an explanation but “not an excuse”. She said sending a message that racially motivated offending would not be tolerated was paramount. “Spitting out words of hate to the Jewish communities” had the potential to embolden people who held neo-Nazi views, she said, describing the crimes as “repulsive”. But Arkeveld will now walk free, handed a term of imprisonment of six months and one day, suspended for eight months. He must abide by an intensive supervision order, with programs to complete under the supervision of a community corrections officer. If he doesn’t, he will go back behind bars. Outside court, his Dutch grandfather Cornelius Arkeveld blamed himself. “Because I get really upset about children getting murdered, genocide It’s very disturbing. And I think I’ve just mentioned it too many times,” he told reporters. “You know, my parents were under Nazi control in Holland. He knows how terrible the Nazis are. “But guess what? The state of Israel is doing exactly the same thing as the Nazis were doing. It’s very sad.” Arkeveld also spraypainted offensive material on a footpath in Nedlands and on a campaign sign for Labor’s Mt Lawley candidate Frank Paolino on a Dianella bus stop. He is an expectant father, with the child due in October, the court was told. Arkeveld’s co-accused Justin Charles Robinson, also 27, has been granted bail, not yet entered pleas and is due to face court later this month. He has disguised himself and sprinted from waiting media on both of his court appearances over these offences.