A neo-Nazi father who named his baby son after Adolf Hitler and posed with him in front of an SS flag attempted to convert to Judaism in Israel, a court has heard. Adam Thomas, 22, was convicted today alongside his Portuguese girlfriend Claudia Patatas for being members of the banned far-right group National Action.
Thomas spent his late teens in Israel, living in kibbutzes and religious academies, in a bid to convert to Judaism and join the Israeli army. He was eventually expelled from a yeshiva after teachers became suspicious of his past. Former classmates described him as 'mentally ill' and 'obnoxious', and said he lived on the streets in Jerusalem for a time.
Despite his efforts to become Jewish, Thomas and Patatas, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, filled their home with Nazi memorabilia, including swastika cushions and cookie cutters. Patatas sent a WhatsApp message saying: 'All Jews must be put to death.' Thomas, a self-confessed Holocaust denier, was found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court.
Thomas moved to Israel in 2014 after being rejected by the British army. He told police he worked as a security guard protecting Israeli military facilities. His roommate in Jerusalem, David Simpkins, said Thomas confided in him about his neo-Nazi family background and his desire to understand Jews. Simpkins convinced Thomas to confess to a rabbi, leading to his expulsion.
