Vaccine sceptic tells judge he will only return to court if he gets €1m

Man charged with a number of motoring offences refuses to accept case being adjourned

Antonio Mureddu addressed the judge from the back of Letterkenny District Court. Picture: NW Newspix

A well-known vaccine sceptic has told a judge he will only return to court on alleged motoring offences if he gets €1m.

Antonio Mureddu appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old is charged with having no insurance, using a fraudulent licence plate, and failing to give information to gardaí at Meencarragh, Ballybofey, on October 23 last year.

Judge Brendan O'Reilly had told the court that no hearings would be going ahead.

It follows a High Court decision on Wednesday, which questioned if any gardaí could present cases for other gardaí if the prosecuting member was not in court.

Mureddu, with an address at Main Street, Headford, Co Galway, stood up from the back of the court and began to address the judge.

Judge O'Reilly asked the Italian national to come up to the bench as he could not hear him but Mureddu refused.

He told the judge: "I am standing here as a living man. I am here for this matter.

"If you are going to adjourn, this it is going to cost you one million euro. I'm not coming next time."

Judge O'Reilly said he was not listening to the man and said that all matters had been adjourned until June 13.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins warned the accused: "If you don't turn up, then a warrant may be issued."

A companion of Mureddu shouted: "The judge has left the bench. Strike it out."

When Mureddu left the court building, he was applauded by around 20 of his supporters.