A Canberra man has been convicted and fined $10,000 for performing a Nazi salute outside a Gold Coast synagogue, in what a magistrate labelled an act of "blatant disrespect".
Court hands down sentence for hate symbol offence
Michigan Addison Bullock, 26, was sentenced in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. He received a jail term of three years and nine months, with a non-parole period of 15 months. In addition to the prison sentence, Magistrate James Lawton imposed a $10,000 fine for the Nazi salute offence. The court considered this fine paid due to time Bullock had already spent in custody.
Bullock had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including giving a Nazi salute in a public place, dangerous driving, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and several counts of property damage and interfering with a conveyance.
Salute captured on phone during separate police probe
The offence came to light after police discovered an image stored on Bullock's mobile phone. The photo showed him performing the banned salute outside the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation, in clear view of the public. Officers seized the phone as part of a separate investigation into a series of aggressive road rage incidents across the ACT.
The federal law criminalising the public performance of the Nazi salute and display of symbols like the swastika came into effect in January 2024. Bullock's actions fell squarely under this new legislation.
History of violent and reckless behaviour detailed
The court heard detailed evidence of Bullock's other crimes. Between October 2024 and February 2025, he was involved in a spate of dangerous driving incidents, repeatedly ramming other vehicles and causing collisions. In a victim impact statement read to the court in October, one woman he rammed off the road described his actions as showing "unwarranted violence, recklessness and disregard for safety".
The victim expressed relief that her daughter was not in the car at the time of the crash, as she was on her way to school pick-up.
In a separate 2023 incident, Bullock assaulted a neighbour in what Magistrate Lawton described as a "brutal", "unprovoked" and "shocking" attack that was captured on film.
While sentencing, Magistrate Lawton acknowledged that Bullock's upbringing had impacted his ability to control his behaviour. Bullock will be eligible for parole in April 2026.
