Man who tackled ‘Egg boy’ facing charges for storming church service with sword and megaphone

One of the men who tackled 17-year-old Will Connolly – also known as “Egg boy” after he egged an Australian senator – is a convicted criminal wanted by the police.

Far-right activist Neil Erikson held Mr Connolly to the ground after the teenager broke an egg on Senator Fraser Anning’s head after the senator had blamed Muslims for the terrorist attack in New Zealand.

Anglican priest Rod Bower named Erikson as the same person who allegedly “terrorised” a church last year – reportedly storming a service, wielding whips, carrying a sword and a megaphone and traumatising the congregation.

New South Wales Police have confirmed there is a state-wide arrest warrant for Erikson following the incident in May 2018.

They said Erikson failed to attend Gosford Local Court in September last year, charged with using threats to prevent a clergyman discharging duties, and disturbing religious worship.

The 34-year-old has an outstanding non-custodial arrest warrant for the charges, ABC news reports.

“I think it’s sad that a senator in our nation gathers around him such people of questionable moral fibre,” Father Bower told the news organisation.

On Twitter, he wrote: “If you see him north of the border please call police”.

Erikson has also previously been convicted of “inciting serious contempt” against Muslims when he staged a mock beheading with other far-right individuals on the steps of the City of Greater Bendigo office, in protest at the construction of a mosque. Erikson and his two co-defendants were each fined $2,000 AUD in that case.

During the incident at which Mr Anning was egged, Erikson was standing at the door and controlling access to the building, he also helped mic up the senator before the news conference in which he attacked Islam.

Mr Connolly was standing behind him, and is seen raising his mobile phone to film his own actions, before using his other hand to splat the egg onto Mr Anning’s head.

Mr Anning then punched the boy twice before men including Erikson tackled Mr Connolly to the ground.

One of the other men, named by Australia’s news.com/au, as “ultra-nationalist” Ricky Turner, is seen putting the child in a chokehold, and heard telling him: “You are nothing but a weak human f***ing being, you f***ing prick.”

“I was just making sure the Senator wasn’t punched or stabbed,” Mr Turner told Daily Mail Australia.

“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,” he said.

“Get the journalists out of here ... If you don’t like, get out,” Erikson said during the scuffle, according to Australia’s Sun-Herald newspaper.

Speaking to the Daily Mail Australia, Erikson said he was controlling access to the building when the egging of Senator Anning happened and he claimed he 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.

In a later video posted to YouTube, Erikson addressed Father Bower over the charges he is faced with.

“If you want me to come back to New South Wales to face my accusers, come and get me,” he said, before threatening to “storm into New South Wales with the power of almighty god.”

At a later press conference, Mr Anning compared hitting the teenager to trench warfare.