‘Graphic’ porn throws Supreme Court hearing into chaos

A Supreme Court hearing was thrown into chaos after a group of rowdy online spectators tuning into Dr Valerie Peers’ trial started broadcasting porn to the courtroom.

Dr Valerie Peers’ trial was thrown into chaos after people watching online started broadcasting porn.

A Supreme Court trial has been “hijacked” by rowdy spectators who played “graphic” porn to the hearing in chaotic scenes that prompted a swift security response.

Dozens of supporters rallying behind Dr Valerie Peers, who has been accused of handing out illegitimate Covid vaccination exemptions, dialled into her trial against the health watchdog on Friday morning.

But after only five minutes, the hearing descended into chaos.

An innocent observer of the proceedings told the Herald Sun the porn, which they described as “real graphic”, was suddenly being aired in open court.

The observer said the online hearing had been “hijacked” by a group of attendees, who were broadcasting pornographic videos “one after the other” via their Zoom icons.

One video depicted two men engaging in a sex act together, they said, while others showed “well-endowed” men pleasuring themselves.

“It was a coordinated effort,” they said.

“The staff were racing to try and kick them out, but then another would pop up.”

It was swiftly brought to the attention of Justice James Gorton that people could be seen “having sex” in one of the videos, according to the observer.

Dr Valerie Peers has been charged with operating while unregistered. Picture: YouTube

Dr Peers’ supporters, who also packed the courtroom, peered at the mounted screens – which were displaying the Zoom meeting – during the commotion.

Supreme Court security were alerted to the disturbance and sent a security guard to sit outside the courtroom, despite the disturbance unfolding online.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman said the hearing was “temporarily disrupted by a group of remote observers who posted offensive material”.

“Those remote observers were removed from the hearing and the hearing continued,” she said.

“Remote observer access in an alternative form which prevents disruption has been put in place for the continuing hearing.”

It is not known how the observers were able to broadcast the material.

In October 2021, the Herald Sun revealed that Dr Peers was accused of providing illegitimate Covid vaccination exemptions without clinical reason, after the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) was tipped off about large queues forming outside a GP clinic in Melbourne’s west.

Her medical registration was suspended amid the claims.

She was later charged by AHPRA with operating while unregistered, after she was allegedly caught working as a doctor out of an Altona North medical centre.

Dr Peers, who is fighting the criminal charge, claims the allegations against her are “vexatious” and “malicious”.

Her matter is returning to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in late March.

The wild prank caused quite the commotion inside the Supreme Court. Picture: David Crosling

But on Friday, she was seeking “judicial review” in the Supreme Court of three decisions made by multiple magistrates in her criminal case.

The Herald Sun understands the reviews relate to a magistrate’s decision to hear her indictable offences summarily and another magistrate’s decision to refuse the making of a suppression order over the publication of her name.

Dr Peers’ supporters were encouraged to attend the first day of her trial remotely, with details of the Zoom meeting shared on social media.

“Let’s fill the courtroom so they know we are watching and waiting for justice to be done and seen to be done,” one supporter posted on Facebook.

But it is not known whether her supporters caused the chaos or whether other people who gained access to the link were behind the stunt.

Justice Gorton will hand down his judgment at a later date.