David Cole, aka Lurnpa Tjambatjimba threatens to take case to High Court

A prominent anti-vax leader said he had been subjected to death threats over his ongoing campaign.

A PROMINENT anti-vax leader said he had been subjected to death threats over his ongoing campaign against pandemic policies, a court has heard.

The self-proclaimed “sovereign tribal man” David Alan Cole asked to be referred to as Lurnpa Tjambatjimba as he appeared in Darwin Local Court on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old faces charges including assaulting police and workers, rioting, contravening emergency declarations and entering Aboriginal Land without a permit.

Before his case began, Tjambatjimba asked Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris to remove a NT News reporter from the court, which was dismissed by the Chief Judge.

Tjambatjimba was successful in a suppression order limiting the publication of certain personal details.

Tjambatjimba told the court he had received death threats over his alleged anti-vax actions.

“A 1am phone call saying ‘I’m going to kill you, you dog’, is pretty serious,” he told the court.

Tjambatjimba told Ms Morris he would be challenging the jurisdiction of all Territory courts to hear his cases.

Tjambatjimba, who said he had no legal background, said he intended to take the challenge all the way to the Federal High Court.

Tjambatjimba said he would present a 60-page written submission to challenge the Darwin court’s power over him in a local court hearing on November 15.

“There’s too much time wasted for the courts and for me,” he said.

Ms Morris assigned Tjambatjimba a week’s worth of contested hearing dates for the March 2023 calendar to finalise five alleged offences dating between October to February.

His first appearance for a contested hearing for a contravention of an emergency declaration was set for March 3.

The anti-vax leader will face a two-day hearing on March 20-21 in relation to a massive anti-vaccine mandate protest, which turned violent on November 6.

Tjambatjimba’s family allegedly also attended the violent rally.

His daughter T’ara Monique Cole, son Niwang Cole and son-in-law Rudy Matoy-Nukmutwa were charged with contravention of an emergency declaration, rioting, disorderly behaviour, and resisting and assaulting police.

T’ara was also charged with hindering a member of the police.

His wife Meikim Sue Lee Cole was charged only with contravention of an emergency declaration.

Tjambatjimba will face a one-day hearing on March 23 for an alleged aggravated assault of a worker outside the Darwin Local Court in February, and a bail breach hearing on March 24.

He was charged with the aggravated assault of a worker and threatening injury.

Tjambatjimba, T’ara and Matoy-Nukmutwa will appear together for a two-day hearing on March 27-28 over allegations they contravened an emergency declaration by visiting Yirrkala in February.

Tjambatjimba was also charged with entering Aboriginal Land without a permit, a charge he refuted as a ‘ceremonial” law man.

“I’ve been through ceremony … I have the right under my law to travel and traverse this entire continent on any type of land as a law man,” he claimed.

Cole had his bail amended to visit the Arnhem region for his father’s funeral.