A prominent anti-vaccine campaigner told Donegal gardai that he was not required to have tax or NCT on his vehicle.
Antonio Mureddu did not appear at Ballyshannon District Court on Friday, where he was due to face a charge of having no tax on the car.
Another individual attempted to address the court when Mureddu’s case was called. The man, who did not identify himself, said he was ‘here to express the private trust’ and that he was ‘seeking an immediate discharge’ of the matter.
Judge Michael Connellan asked the man if he was a solicitor, to which he replied: “I am the trust protector.”
Judge Connellan said he was satisfied to proceed in the absence of Mureddu who he said must have been aware of the case when the man attempting to speak on his behalf appeared.
The case arose out of an incident on December 13, 2021 in Ballyshannon. Inspector Angela Cummins told the court that gardai were performing a checkpoint on the day in question. When the vehicle being driven by Mureddu was stopped, there was no insurance, tax or NCT on display and the driver had no driving licence.
Inspector Cummins said Mureddu told Gardai that he was not required to have these documents on the vehicle ‘under common law’. When asked to produce documents to a Garda station of his choice within ten days, Mureddu nominated Ballybofey Garda Station, but the documents were not produced.
The vehicle was detained by gardai under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act.
On the charge of not having tax on the vehicle, Mureddu was fined €250 by Judge Connellan.
Mureddu hit the headlines in February, 2022 when he was arrested and questioned about encouraging 67-year-old Covid-sceptic patient Joe McCarron to leave Letterkenny University Hospital the previous September, when he was gravely ill.
Mr McCarron was returned to hospital two days later, but subsequently died.
Gardaí sent a file to the DPP in relation to Mureddu’s role in that incident, but the state prosecutor later advised that no criminal charges be pursued.