A far-right extremist convicted of plotting a terror attack against his ideological enemies has been jailed for at least nine years.
Phillip Galea, 36, was last year found guilty by a jury of planning to target venues including the Melbourne Anarchist Club and Melbourne Resistance Centre.
Involved in far-right groups including Reclaim Australia, Galea spent enormous amounts of time at home alone, drinking excessively and fuelling his conspiracy theories online.
He spoke of wanting to witness the mass extermination of “the left” and Muslim people.
Galea researched ingredients and methods for making explosive devices and unsuccessfully tried to recruit others to assist with the planned attacks.
He also tried to make a document he dubbed the “Patriot’s Cookbook”, to instruct others about how to carry out acts of violence.
It was based on the 1971 Anarchist Cookbook and Galea continued working on it in jail following his August 2016 arrest.
He was sentenced in Victoria’s Supreme Court on Friday to a maximum of 12 years’ jail, and must serve nine of those before he can be considered for release on parole.
Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth noted some of his ideas appeared to be “fanciful, immature rubbish” fuelled by alcohol during late-night ramblings.
“You frequently engaged in colourful, rambling conversations in which you would big-note yourself,” she said.
“Although your plans were rather amateurish … you believed that they would work. You unsuccessfully tried to recruit others.”
The more than four years Galea has already spent in custody will count towards his sentence.
