Man arrested in relation to death of Covid patient who left hospital

Video showed doctors advising 68-year-old Joe McCarron he needed further treatment

Joe McCarron (75) from Dungloe left a Letterkenny University Hospital against medical advice and died after having been readmitted.

Anti-vaccination activist Antonio Mureddu has been arrested by gardaí in Co Donegal.

It is understood the arrest relates to an incident at Letterkenny University Hospital when a seriously ill Covid-19 patient was assisted in leaving the hospital on September 14th last.

The man, 68-year-old Joe McCarron, died a couple of days later in the hospital after he had been returned there by his family.

A video of the incident shows Mureddu telling doctors and security officers that he is helping Mr McCarron to leave the hospital.

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Doctors are filmed pleading with Mr McCarron not to leave hospital advising him that he is very ill with Covid.

Mureddu appeared on Monday at Letterkenny District Court where he was facing road traffic charges.

However, directly after the brief appearance the 44 year old, an Italian national, was arrested by gardaí within the lobby of the court.

Having been approached by a number of both uniformed and plain-clothes gardaí, he was taken away for questioning at Letterkenny Garda station.

Mureddu, with an address at Main Street, Headford, Co Galway, was read his rights by Detective Garda Frank McDaid and escorted away in a Garda vehicle.

A spokesperson for the Garda Press Office subsequently confirmed a man was arrested at Letterkenny District Court earlier today.

“We can confirm that gardaí in Letterkenny conducted an arrest this afternoon at Letterkenny District Court. Investigations are ongoing.”