Anti-vax duo Cobie Campbell and James Robertson want charges dismissed

Two anti-vaccine mandate protestors called for cases against them to be dismissed entirely in an appearance in the Darwin Local Court.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25: TWO anti-vaccine mandate protestors called for cases against them to be dismissed entirely in an appearance in the Darwin Local Court.

Cobie Campbell, nee Dobson, and James Robertson were both charged with walking without due care on a road, taking part in a parade/procession/event and entering a pedestrian crossing on a red light.

All alleged offences took place during an anti-vaccine rally held in the Darwin CBD in 2021.

Campbell, who is currently a plaintiff in a Supreme Court challenge against the NT’s Covid mandate, represented herself in the Local Court and requested her matter be dismissed.

“I’m a plaintiff against the Chief Health Officer and the NT government mandates,” she said.

“There were hundreds of people at the rally that day and only a select few have been fined.”

Judge Therese Austin instead directed Campbell to a directions hearing on June 27, for which the defendant confirmed she would not be seeking legal representation.

Robertson, representing himself as well, also appealed for his charges to be dismissed in court, stating he had no intention to make a plea.

“I’m not pleading guilty, nor am I pleading not guilty, but what I will ask is for you to dismiss the charges,” Robertson said.

Ms Austin pushed the case back to June 27 for a directions hearing, telling Roberston he would have to discuss the possible dismissal with the prosecution.

MON MAY 9: A VOCAL anti-vaxxer yelled outside Darwin’s Local Court that journalists would be hanged comparing his plight to the Nazi war crime tribunals.

David Alan Cole and his family appeared at Darwin Local Court on Monday for a brief three-minute hearing before Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris.

The 50-year-old spoke on behalf of his family calling for their separate criminal hearings to be grouped together.

Cole, his children Niwang and T’ara Cole, and his son-in-law Rudy Matoy-Nukmtwa all face charges relating to a November anti-vaccine mandate rally which allegedly saw rocks and liquid thrown at the police.

Charges against the family included taking part in a riot, contravention of emergency declaration, disorderly behaviour in public and assault of a police officer.

In a separate incident police allege Tristan gave misleading information to an authorised officer in Darwin in January.

But the outspoken anti-vaxxer also faced five other separate criminal hearings.

Cole, a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen, faces three counts of contravening an emergency declaration, breaching bail and entering on Aboriginal land without a permit.

It is understood Cole was arrested at Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula in February over allegations he did not have a Northern Land Council permit, a biosecurity requirement to visit remote communities.

Police will also allege Cole assaulted and threatened a worker outside the Darwin Local Court on December 9.

Cole said he would need more time to recruit Sydney-based legal representation for his multiple hearings.

“Give me time to go down and speak to the barrister,” he said.

Prosecutors handed over a hard-copy brief of evidence including body-cam footage after Cole told the court had not been checking his emails.

“I’ve been extremely busy out of town and not on anything electronic. So I’m just going through all my emails now,” he said.

Outside the court Cole turned on journalists, claiming they would be killed for covering the pandemic.

“Are you aware that the media was hung (sic) in the Nuremberg Trials? You’ll be next,” Mr Cole told journalists.

“You guys are only telling one side of the story.”

After crossing the road outside the Darwin Local Court the anti-vax campaigner turned back to yell “You’ll be hanged”.

The Cole family’s cases were adjourned to June 6, and their bail was extended.

Anti-vax parade through Darwin’s Local Court

INITIAL MAY 5: A PARADE of alleged sovereign citizens, anti-vaxxers and anti-mandate activists filed through the courts in a hasty judicial hearing.

Nine alleged anti-mandate protesters and a leader of the fringe Top End anti-vaccine movement appeared in Darwin’s Local Court on Thursday.

In a hearing that lasted less than 45 seconds, vocal anti-vaxxer Christopher Jason Bell told the court he intended to plead not guilty to the charge of contravening an emergency declaration.

With many alleged protesters to process, Judge Ben O’Loughlin was quick to shut down any distractions telling the self-representing accused that any “sovereign citizen” arguments should be postponed until a later hearing.

Jordan Latham and Li Chang Choo both said they did not intend to make a plea over charges relating to a anti-mandate protest in March.

“Your options are guilty or not guilty. So are you challenging the jurisdiction?” Mr O’Loughlin asked Latham.

“I am a living man,” Latham replied.

Choo, who denied being a sovereign citizen, also refused to approach the bar table, instead choosing to run his hearing from the court gallery.

“If you want to take some stand as a sovereign citizen or the like it has to be done at a hearing,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

Anti-vaccine leader Chris Bell was surrounded by supporters when he appeared in Darwin Local Court on Thursday May 5 facing charges of contravention of an emergency declaration.

Mr O’Loughlin warned a husband and wife he would be forced to issue a warrant if they failed to appear for their next hearing.

Fatima Maria Norris spoke on behalf of her co-accused husband, Ronald William Norris, who was unable to attend the Thursday hearing.

While Mr O’Loughlin accepted he could not attend he warned Norris, “I should order a warrant for his arrest now, but I haven’t. So next time he should be here”.

Former CLP parliamentarian Ross Oscar Charles Bohlin, and his wife Hannah Louise Bohlin Ramon Neville Phillips, Pandanasa Lelekis, Michael Alan Rowe, also appeared charged with the same offences.

All nine were all charged for walking without due care on the road, taking part in a parade, and entering a pedestrian crossing on a red light at Darwin in March.

Their cases, along with Bell’s, were adjourned to June 20 for a directions hearing, with a hearing date likely to run in November.

Originally published as Anti-vax duo Cobie Campbell and James Robertson want charges dismissed