Erikson concedes he failed to give back uniforms to former employer Toll after wearing them in inflammatory videos

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The far-right activist Neil Erikson has admitted breaching court orders by failing to give back uniforms to his former employer Toll, who took him to court because he kept wearing them in inflammatory videos.

Erikson appeared before the federal circuit court on Monday, where he is being pursued for contempt after failing to hand back uniform items to his previous employer.

The court in December ordered the unemployed forklift driver to hand back his uniform to Toll after the freight company accused him of trying to deliberately damage its brand.

The convicted stalker and racial vilifier admitted he had not returned the uniform items but told the court this was because he had already thrown them out.

“I admit that I did not return them,” he told judge Suzanne Jones. “I discarded them.”

Erikson also admitted he did not immediately take down a video he had recorded of Senator Sam Dastyari being ambushed at a book launch in November and being called a “terrorist” despite the court ordering him to do so.

Erikson stopped working for Toll in 2014 but worked for them again in Tasmania in 2017 before being sacked.

But he and his associates have continued wearing the Toll uniform in videos and at events organised by far right groups United Patriots Front and Patriot Blue.

Erikson was wearing a fluoro orange and green Toll polo shirt when Dastyari was ambushed in a Melbourne pub.

Erikson on Monday said he could be seen wearing his old Toll uniforms in videos because he often attended events, or made videos, after work.

He also admitted lying to Toll about his criminal convictions on an employment form and lying on a job application he said his girlfriend had written for him.

“Who doesn’t lie on their resumes?” he said during cross-examination by counsel for Toll, Myles Tehan. “I lied to make myself look good.”

Erikson, who is representing himself, said police had raided his home looking for Toll shirts in December.

The anti-Islam activist picked up the Koran as he prepared to give sworn evidence under religious oath, before he chose the Bible when court staff pointed out the difference.

The hearing continues.