REVEALED: Controversial background of men who took down ‘Eggboy’ when he smashed an egg on Fraser Anning’s head – as they say people are ‘trying to make them look bad’
- Neil Erikson, a far-right activist who held down ‘Eggboy’, is wanted by police
- It is alleged he ‘invaded’ Gosford Anglican church wielding whips and swords
- Erikson spoke to Daily Mail Australia with Ricky Turner, said they have no regrets
- Both men intervened after Will Connolly, 17, cracked egg on Fraser Anning
One of the far right activists who helped restrain a teenager after he egged Senator Fraser Anning during a press conference is a convicted criminal wanted by police.
Neil Erikson, a convicted stalker and racial vilifier, was among the first to intervene after Will Connolly, 17, slammed an egg on the politician’s head in Melbourne on Saturday.
He and fellow ultra-nationalist Ricky Turner, another to pounce on the teenager, have defended their actions and said they’re not worried about the possibility of charges being laid against them.
‘I was just making sure the Senator wasn’t punched or stabbed,’ Mr Turner told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Erikson (left) and Mr Turner (second left) have defended their actions in restraining Connolly, the teenager who egged Fraser Anning on Saturday
Ricky Turner (pictured with flag) was also one of supporters at the press conference and held Connolly in a headlock as they waited for police to arrive
‘What many people don’t realise was that he was hit quite hard when the egg was cracked on his head. I was flabbergasted. We didn’t know what was happening.’
Erikson said he was controlling access to the building when the drama unfolded and claimed had no idea it was a 17-year-old.
‘I ran in and held his head down as we didn’t know whether he had a knife or not. We held him down for his own protection more than anything,’ he said.
The pair claim disturbing footage of them holding the teen to the ground was taken out of context and that people were ‘trying to make them look bad’.
The other three men captured holding Connolly to the down weren’t known to them, they said.
It has since emerged there is a police warrant out for Erikson’s arrest over an alleged invasion of the Gosford Anglican Church in May last year, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Neil Erikson (pictured) was one of the first supporters to intervene after Will Connolly, 17, slammed an egg on the politician’s head during a Conservative National Party meeting in Melbourne on Saturday
Bystanders intervened after Will Connolly cracked an egg on Senator Fraser Anning’s head
However, it has since been revealed that Mr Erikson (pictured) has a warrant out for his arrest after he invaded the Gosford Anglican Church wielding whips and swords in May
NSW police confirmed Erikson is a wanted man after he allegedly stormed into the church wielding whips and swords, allegedly alongside convicted criminal United Patriots leader Blair Cottrell.
Father Rod Bower, from the Gosford Anglican Church, said he was shocked to see Erikson handle the 17-year-old Mr Connolly with such force.
‘There is a lot of difference between putting an egg on someone’s head and holding them down in a headlock,’ Fr Bower told the paper.
‘Erikson is a physically big man and to get on top of that young man is an appalling act of violence.
‘It just shows the type of person that is drawn to Senator Anning.’
Victoria Police continue to investigate Saturday’s incident in Melbourne ‘in its entirety’
Mr Turner (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that he held Connolly down with such force because he ‘was just making sure the Senator wasn’t punched or stabbed’
Erikson and Mr Turner (in white cap) told Daily Mail Australia they don’t know the other three men who help them restrain the teen
Erikson has a long history of controversy and has made headlines for his heavy involvement in the right-wing activist group the United Patriots.
He was arrested in 2015 alongside Cottrell for staging a beheading on a mannequin on the steps of the City of Greater Bendigo office during a protest against the construction of a Bendigo mosque.
They were found guilty of inciting serious contempt for Muslims.
In January of this year, taxpayers paid for Senator Anning to fly to Melbourne for a rally organised by Erikson and Cottrell which involved both right-wing extremists and anti-fascists.
Victoria Police released a statement saying they are continuing to investigate the egging incident ‘in its entirety’ including the actions of Senator Anning and others.
Connolly was removed from the premises but released without charge, pending further investigations.