Two alleged neo-Nazi leaders will stand trial accused of an attack on a group of young hikers in Victoria, which left one man fearing he'd be killed.
The man was one of three allegedly assaulted and robbed at knifepoint after hiking up Sugarloaf Peak in the Cathedral Ranges, northeast of Melbourne, on May 8 this year.
His group were surrounded by people they assumed were neo-Nazis and had their car windows smashed and their phones stolen, Melbourne Magistrates Court has been told.
Thomas Sewell, 28, and 22-year-old Jacob Hersant are each charged with more than a dozen offences including affray, assault and robbery over the incident.
Both formally pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Sewell is alleged to be leader of the right-wing European Australian Movement while Hersant allegedly heads the National Socialist Movement.
Magistrate Peter Reardon ordered them to stand trial in Victoria's County Court. Sewell is in custody and did not apply for bail. Hersant is on bail with a $10,000 surety.
Mr Reardon was told during a three-day committal hearing that about 20 people were gathered in the Cathedral Ranges car park where the incident unfolded.
Witnesses said they were wearing all black outfits with a Celtic cross emblem on the chest. Some were allegedly wearing face coverings.
The hikers, who cannot be identified because of concerns for their safety, speculated that the group were "probably the Nazis" who had featured in news reports about groups camping in the Grampians over Australia Day.
One said he saw a Nazi eagle tattoo on a man's leg while another said they'd seen "Australia for the white man" stickers along their hike.
The hikers exchanged pleasantries when they crossed paths with the group on the hike, and met them again in the car park later.
One hiker took out his phone and began recording the group before it's alleged one member yelled out "antifa" and the group ran toward three hikers who locked themselves in their car.
"I thought we were going to be killed ... it all happened in a flash," one man said.
Police officers told the court on Friday that they believe it was a spur of the moment attack. Officers said they would not encourage people to film suspected neo-Nazi groups.
A number of men believed to be supporters of Sewell and Hersant were warned over their behaviour during the online court hearing.
One held up a "Free Tom Sewell" sign.
Prosecutors had tried to close the court to members of the public after discovering "coded hate speech" had been shared in the hearing's chat function.
Later suspected supporters shared an image of a gorilla doing a Nazi salute and another of a topless woman.
Sewell and Hersant are due to face the County Court on November 29.
