Pre-trial kidnapping hearing for Laura Hinks, Juliet Oldroyd, Angela Marcus and Annette, Phillip Howie
‘Genocide’ and ‘fraud’: Here’s why police were called to the Territory’s Supreme Court after sovereign citizens took over a the pre-trial hearing of an alleged kidnapper.
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A self-proclaimed human rights ambassador, lawyer and ‘sovereign tribal’ citizen was marched out of the Darwin Supreme Court after he repeatedly interrupted his wife’s pre-trial kidnapping hearing.
NT Police were called to the Supreme Court on Tuesday during the pre-trial hearing of Laura Hinks, Juliet Oldroyd, Angela Marcus and Annette and Phillip Howie.
The alleged fringe conspiracy group are accused of helping Ms Hinks kidnap and hide her five-year-old daughter, whose disappearance for 12 days in August 2022 triggered a nationwide search.
It is alleged Ms Hinks and Ms Oldroyd bundled the young girl into a Toyota Kluger during a supervised visit at Berrimah, with the pair also attempting to grab her 11-year-old brother.
They were charged with abducting a child under 16 years of age and attempting to commit an offence – while the Howies and Ms Marcus were charged with aiding another to commit an offence.
The accused are yet to enter pleas.
With just 90 days until their Supreme Court trial, Ms Oldroyd and Ms Hinks remain without proper legal representation.
On Tuesday their procedural hearing was repeatedly delayed, with Chief Justice Michael Grant forced to call security twice to evict two men there to support the five allegedly part of the kidnapping plot.
The husband of one of the alleged kidnappers, Craig Oldroyd — who goes by the name Wulimani and claims to be the Human Rights Ambassador to Sovereign Tribal Nations — repeatedly claimed to be his wife’s legal representative as he had “the power of attorney”.
Justice Grant asked him not to interrupt as he was not an admitted legal practitioner, but Mr Oldroyd refused to be addressed by his surname while his supporters accused the judge of committing “fraud”.
When security approached Mr Oldroyd, his supporters said if they touched him “you will be charged with genocide”.
Police were called to remove Mr Oldroyd from the courtroom.
After briefly resuming, Justice Grant was forced to again close the court when a man from the gallery kept accusing him of committing “fraud”.
“You can’t have me removed … You be quiet. You have no jurisdiction in this court,” the man told the judge shortly before he was removed.
Questions have been raised over Ms Oldroyd’s health and ability to attend her own trial.
Her psychologist, David Chapman, said the 52-year-old had suffered from a prolonged period of depression with severe anxiety, with the combination of trauma and perimenopause complicating her mental health,
He said a trial may “trigger a relapse” but with a correct approach and medication she should be able to attend her trial, either in person or via a video-link.
Justice Grant said he also remained sceptical Ms Oldroyd would organise “orthodox legal representation” ahead of another pre-trial hearing on Friday September 13, or trial on November 11.
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Originally published as Pre-trial kidnapping hearing for Laura Hinks, Juliet Oldroyd, Angela Marcus and Annette, Phillip Howie
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