A man with alcohol issues has been slammed for disrespecting soldiers by emblazoning his body with Nazi swastikas and bigoted slogans near a war memorial.
Jack Rodger Marvelly covered himself in hate symbols and sat outside the memorial in Sydney on February 24 with a homemade banner that read "Save Australia".
The New Zealand citizen used a permanent marker to drunkenly scrawl two Nazi swastikas on his chest, a swastika on each hand and white supremacist slogans including "white pride" on his abdomen and knuckles.
When he was arrested, Marvelly told police he was "sick of white man genocide globally" and he was trying to make a political statement.
But his lawyer told a court on Wednesday Marvelly was not malicious and did not hold Nazi views.
He was instead a "lost" man struggling with alcohol addiction and unemployment.
"He was feeling extremely low at that point in his life which led to this unfortunate act," Jennifer Mouhaweg told Parramatta Local Court.
She maintained the 31-year-old "deeply regrets" the unacceptable "one-off act" which has no place in this community.
Magistrate Kate Thompson said Marvelly's antics were disrespectful to the soldiers who died fighting the Nazis in World War II and the families they left behind.
She emphasised the need to denounce the hate crime and deter others from committing similar offending, dismissing any suggestion it was trivial.
Drawing the symbols and slogans on his body and preparing a banner had involved a degree of planning, Ms Thompson found.
But Marvelly has shown genuine remorse about the incident outside the Centenary of Anzac Reserve in northern Sydney and taken strong steps to address his issues with alcohol, she said.
Despite Marvelly's push to be spared a conviction, he was convicted and sentenced to a nine-month community corrections order.
He will be required to comply with prescribed drug, alcohol and mental health treatment during that time.
Marvelly hung his head and did not answer questions as he walked out of the courthouse.
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