Anti-vaxxer Antonio Mureddu has been arrested by Gardai in Co Donegal.
The 44-year-old appeared at Letterkenny District Court where he was facing road traffic charges.
However, directly after the brief appearance Mureddu, an Italian national, was arrested by Gardai within the lobby of the court.
He was taken away and is currently being questioned at Letterkenny Garda station.
It is understood the arrest relates to an incident at Letterkenny University Hospital when a seriously ill Covid patient was assisted in leaving the hospital on September 14th last.
The man, 68-year-old Joe McCarron, died a couple of days later in the hospital after he had been returned there by his family.
A video of the incident shows Mureddu telling doctors and security officers that he is helping Mr McCarron to leave the hospital.
Doctors are filmed pleading with Mr McCarron not to leave hospital advising him that he is very ill with Covid.
Mureddu, with an address at Main Street, Headford, Co Galway, appeared in court today in connection with road traffic offences in Co Clare
Sgt Mark Murphy of Ennis Garda Station gave details of arrest, charge and caution.
He is charged with assault and two counts of dangerous driving at the Headford Arms, Headford, Co Galway.
These charges were put back to March 4th at Ennis District Court.
Garda Sgt Jim Collins told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided the case could be heard on indictment meaning it will go to the circuit court where it will be heard before a judge and jury.
Mureddu was previously charged at Letterkenny District Court with having no insurance, using a fraudulent license plate and failing to give information to Gardai at Meencarragh, Ballybofey on October 23rd last year.
These charges were put back to June 5th.
Judge Alan Mitchell had earlier asked Mureddu why he was not wearing a mask and he handed into a letter of exemption to court officials.
Another man with him left the courtroom when asked by the Judge why he was not wearing a facemask.
Gardai said they had no objection to bail.
Judge Mitchell asked Mureddu if he had any legal representation and he replied “I have a right to be silent.”
However, when Mureddu was told to sign his bail bond in his own sum of €300 he wrote on the bail bond claiming he was under duress. He also fixed a 2 cent stamp to the bond.
Judge Mitchell told Mureddu that he only needed his signature and if he did not simply put his signature on the new sheet he would be sent to prison for seven days.
Mureddu agreed and signed the bond.
However, when he was leaving he was approached by a number of both uniformed and plain-clothes Gardai.
He was read his rights by Detective Garda Frank McDaid and escorted away in a Garda vehicle to Letterkenny Garda Station.
