Anti-Vax Wacko IS JAILED

As has been covered earlier on Zelo Street, the city of Chester has had the dubious distinction of being home to an especially active band of Common Law Covidiots, who have taken it upon themselves to threaten pub licensees, claimed to have seized public buildings, and attempted to disrupt schools. But all things wacko come to a sticky end sooner or later, and so it came to pass yesterday at Chester Crown Court.

Whether he was a member of the so-called True Honorables, or a participant in what was promoted as Common Law Standing In Chester, is not known, but Philip McLoughlin had been at an anti-vaccination rally in June last year, where he had been arrested. Yesterday he went one better: he got himself arrested again, just to be on the safe side.

McLoughlin did not help his cause, as he “appeared at the courtroom escorted by police officers on Friday, February 11, having previously been charged with an offence of assaulting a police officer on June 14, 2021 … McLoughlin, who represented himself, refused to get in the dock in the courtroom, or to enter a plea to the charge, claiming he had ‘not been charged with anything whatsoever’ and that police documents were ‘bogus’”.

It got worse. “He also claimed police had assaulted him during the June 2021 incident, understood to have happened during an anti-vaccination rally … McLoughlin attempted to 'approach the bench' to show Judge Michael Leeming a bundle of documents, which unrepresented defendants are not allowed to do … After continually interrupting the judge during the plea and trial preparation hearing, the defendant was found in contempt by the judge and jailed for seven days”. What happened to the rest of the anti-vax wackos?

“About 15 people had joined McLoughlin for the hearing, with only two allowed in with him due to social distancing measures in place in the courtroom. The remainder waited outside, with several police and security officers guarding the court entrance”. So none of the behaviour that put the cops off dealing more appropriately with the Storyhouse “occupation”.

And then it got a lot worse. “After McLoughlin ignored the arraignment plea to the charge of assaulting a police officer, referring again to his bundle of documents, Judge Leeming said: ‘I will take that as a not guilty plea and will set a date for trial.’ An increasingly irate McLoughlin continued to protest, and Judge Leeming said: ‘I find you in contempt. Police, arrest him.’” So he’s now in jail. And still has his trial to come.

As he whined “That's battery, this is criminal, get off. Get off my paperwork … There is no justice, this is criminal”, it was noted “his trial [is] due to take place at Chester Crown Court on July 11, with an estimated trial length of two days … The judge added he was unable, due to the defendant's behaviour, to provide him with a warning that if he failed to attend, the trial could take place in his absence”. And that may not be McLoughlin’s only problem.

After all, someone called Phil McLoughlin appears to have been heavily involved in a serious incident at Aintree Hospital last December when, as the Liverpool Echo reported, “A group of 'Covid deniers' stormed a Liverpool hospital ward and accused staff of ‘aiding and abetting genocide’ as they tried to remove an elderly patient”. There was an arrest, although it appears it was not McLoughlin who was nicked.

Reality has now arrived in the Covidiots’ world. Long may it continue to do so.

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