Anti-vax/science/lockdown folks facing consequences in the courts

I don’t anything about this guy, and I don’t care to - but rejoicing over anyone getting charged with travelling more than 5km from home is really sickening tbh.

I don't believe for one moment that somebody who takes the trouble to post in covid threads knows nothing about this guy.

When did he become unemployed? When that Joe McCarron story kicked off back in September, Mureddu was said to own or run the Headford Arms Ristopub.

Has that ever been used in Ireland?

Whatever about his anti covid/masks/vaccine shtick it kind of shocks me that was on charges for no insurance, using a fraudulent licence plate, and failing to give information to gardaí and he appears in court about a week later for more traffic offences and he gets a fine of €150.

It would seem to me that there are serious mental health issues based on what was said in the reports but rather then setting him free to engage in further trouble, why isnt he been assessed and if deemed needed, sectioned? Still no excuse and believe even if mentally ill, that he should face the full force of the law

@swampy353 wrote

Firstly, it's (quite rightly) incredibly difficult to get someone "sectioned", what I think you are calling involuntary admission under the mental health act.

Secondly, having stupid opinions and acting on them to harm others is neither evidence of or excused by mental illness. Some people are just arseholes.

I first said that he should have an assessment (which could lead to sectioning), which I believe is within the remit of the court to order. He may come back as mentally sound but a total crackpot/arsehole, in that case throw the book at him, or he may have a diagnosis, which can then enable him to get treatment and possibly reduce risk to the community.

@Wanderer78 Dont see it as a failure of the health system (yet), see it as courts etc not diverting people towards the help that they obviously need

its multi system failure, our legal system is effectively an ineffective element of our health system, our legal system should flag our health system, but it rarely does, our legal system perfectly displays our social dysfunctions, and the failures of our critical social systems and institutions

yup, because we continue to fail, to meet our needs, in particular our most critical of needs , it basically fcuks us all up

At least Dee and that crew seem perma unemployed.

Its when you hear of the loops like this lad that "worked" in a restaurant, it makes you shudder what basic food health & safety standards they decided didnt apply to them.

I have said over a couple of posts that he should be assessed. I have not presumed to judge what the outcome of this assessment might be (unlike you).

The mental health act sets out the following as reasons for sectioning

There is a serious likelihood of the person concerned causing immediate and serious harm to himself or herself or to other persons (as you said)

OR

Person concerned is so impaired that failure to admit the person to an approved centre would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in his or her condition or would prevent the administration of appropriate treatment that could be given only by such admission,

AND

Would be likely to benefit or alleviate the condition of that person to a material extent.

While you may not agree that its a good use of money, don't forget this is a man who talked a vulnerable person out of getting treatment which may have contributed to his death.

@swampy353 I understand what you're saying, but your reading of the law doesn't reflect how it is actually used (or not) in practice. I believe this because I've been personally involved in trying to get someone involuntarily admitted. The bar is incredibly high and there's just no way someone with weird opinions and antisocial behaviour is going to qualify.

I also think it's a bit disrespectful of antivaxxers to classify their fringe opinions as mental illness. Many of us know people who would buy into some or all of that guy's views, but they're not mentally ill and neither do they have a personality disorder. They're just wrong.

Ireland's attitude to metal illness has become a lot more supportive over the last few years, and that's very welcome, but let's not take from that by responding to every act of public idiocy with the offer of mental health supports.