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Man jailed for mimicking Bondi terror attack and making antisemitic slurs

3 hours ago2 articles from 2 sources

Consensus Summary

A 23-year-old man, Zayne Jason William McMillan, was sentenced to 12 months in jail with a nine-month non-parole period on 21 April 2026 for mimicking the Bondi Beach terror attack and making antisemitic slurs. The incident occurred on 31 January 2026, where McMillan posed with a fake firearm on the Bondi footbridge, yelled antisemitic remarks, and threatened passersby. He was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and his defence lawyer argued he was not an ideological antisemite. Judge Michael Barko rejected this, noting McMillan’s actions caused real fear and singled out Jewish people specifically. The Bondi Beach terror attack on 14 December 2025, which killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, heightened the sensitivity of McMillan’s actions. Both sources agree on the key facts of the incident, sentencing, and McMillan’s intoxication, though minor discrepancies exist in his age and the specifics of his psychological assessment.

✓ Verified by 2+ sources

Key details reported by multiple sources:

  • Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23 (or 22), was sentenced to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of nine months on 21 April 2026.
  • McMillan pleaded guilty to three counts of offensive behaviour in a public place and two counts of intimidation.
  • The incident occurred on 31 January 2026, where McMillan posed as if holding a long-arm firearm on the Bondi footbridge, yelling 'fuck the Jews' and 'I’m a Koori I can do what I like'.
  • McMillan was arrested on 4 February 2026 after intimidating a visibly Jewish victim at Waverley Oval and continuing antisemitic slurs in Bondi Junction.
  • Judge Michael Barko noted McMillan singled out Jews during his 35-minute tirade, with no other faith, culture, or belief referenced.
  • McMillan was under the influence of alcohol, ketamine, MDMA, and magic mushrooms during the incident.
  • The Bondi Beach terror attack occurred on 14 December 2025, killing 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and injuring 40 others.
  • McMillan’s defence lawyer, Stephen Alexander, argued his client was not an ideological antisemite and that the incident was triggered by someone responding to his client yelling 'Free Palestine'.

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

The Guardian
  • McMillan is a First Nations bricklayer from Dubbo.
  • McMillan was on parole at the time, breaching conditions by taking illicit substances and committing further offences.
  • McMillan’s friend has been charged over the incident with a warrant out for his arrest.
  • McMillan allegedly said, 'You’re stealing land and killing woman and children ... just like the white man,' on the footbridge.
  • McMillan verbally threatened a 47-year-old man walking with his family, saying, 'Do you wanna fucking go? I’ll fuckin bash ya. This is my fuckin land.'
  • McMillan rode a bicycle to Waverley Oval where he intimidated a visibly Jewish victim walking with his son to a synagogue.
  • Judge Barko gave the psychologist’s report 'little weight' because it was based on a one-off 30-minute remote consultation.
  • McMillan watched the sentencing by audio-visual link from Shortland prison near Cessnock, stroking his goatee while Judge Barko spoke.
  • McMillan wanted to apologise to the court in March but did not do so on 21 April 2026.
ABC News
  • Judge Barko described McMillan’s actions as causing 'real fear' amongst the public.
  • McMillan shouted 'what the f*** are you looking at?' to a man and his family, causing two children to cry.
  • McMillan and his associate yelled antisemitic remarks at a 'visibly Jewish' father and son at Bondi Junction on rented bikes.
  • Judge Barko referenced the 14 December 2025 attack as 'etched into the memory of every Australian,' calling it a 'particularly sensitive matter'.
  • Defence lawyer Alexander said McMillan was 'heavily intoxicated, both with drugs and alcohol,' and the incident was unplanned.

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • The Guardian states McMillan is 23 years old, while ABC reports him as 22 years old.
  • The Guardian mentions McMillan was provisionally diagnosed with a 'complex post traumatic background' due to a deprived childhood, but ABC does not explicitly state this diagnosis, only referencing a 'complex post-traumatic background' without specifying the cause.

Source Articles

GUARDIAN

Man jailed after mimicking Bondi beach terror attack on footbridge and making slurs against Jewish people

Zayne Jason William McMillan’s lawyer says client’s tirade was antisemitic but claims he ‘does not consider himself racist against Jewish community’ A man seen mimicking the Bondi beach terror attack before making slurs against Jewish people has been jailed. Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23, was heavily intoxicated when he and a friend went to Bondi beach, six weeks after the shooting, in which 15 people were killed. Continue reading...

ABC

Man jailed for mimicking shooting on bridge used in Bondi attack

A man who yelled antisemitic profanities while pretending to shoot at people from a pedestrian bridge used by the Bondi Beach terror attack gunmen has been sentenced.