An anti-vaccine campaigner has been convicted of stalking the leading scientist behind the island's Covid testing lab

High Bailiff James Brooks said that Courtenay Heading's actions Dr Rachel Glover were incessant at times.

The summary court trial heard Heading sent hundreds of emails and aimed social media posts accusing Dr Glover of conducting a Covid PCR test fraud for financial gain, being responsible for vaccine injuries and being complicit in the deaths of residents at the Abbotswood nursing home during the pandemic.

He also accused her in correspondence of being a 'conner', scammer, was scientifically illiterate, tricked people into taking the jab, misled Tynwald and needed jailing, the court heard.

But it was one online 'tweet' sent on March 27 last year that brought matters to a head in which Mr Heading said that ‘Jurby jail was too good for Dr Rachel Glover’.

Dr Glover told the summary court that the emails from Heading began in late 2017 with claims about the HPV vaccine, but then escalated significantly during the Covid pandemic.

The emails stopped for a couple of weeks after Dr Glover contacted the police who warned Mr Heading that the large volume of unsolicited correspondence was causing her concern.

But then the defendant increasingly turned to Twitter (now X) to post his accusations.

In her evidence, Dr Glover had stressed that she had nothing to do with the island’s vaccination programme.

Dr Glover said she had increased security at her home, making sure she locked the door when she got in and changed her route to her office to avoid the ‘Justice for the Jabbed’ vigils being held by Mr Heading on the Fort North roundabout close to her workplace.

She said she now avoids going into Ramsey to avoid coming face to face with the defendant.

During the trial, Dr Glover read out extracts from some of the messages that were either sent directly to her or into which she was copied, a number of which had been sent while she was at home with her newborn baby.

‘It was just an onslaught,’ she said. ‘There was no escape from it.’

Prosecutor, James Robinson, explained that under harassment legislation, stalking is defined as a pattern of fixated, obsessive, unwanted behaviour which is intrusive.

Mr Robinson said that targeting an individual is different to expressing one's own views.

He added that the content of the tweets and emails cannot be described as anything other than harassment.

During the trial Heading, representing himself, attempted to read an 11-page statement which he had prepared as part his closing remarks.

However, he was told that any statement would be considered evidence which he would have had to provide earlier in the trial.

For his closing remarks, Heading was told he would need to summarise the points that he had already made.

Heading, 66, of Richmond Road, Ramsey, said he was not fixated or obsessive, and added that he has contacted hundreds of people, with 3 to 5% of his output mentioning Dr Glover.

He also said that he had not spoken to Dr Glover since 2017, and did not have her phone number so had not called or texted her.

He added that his actions were never intended to cause Dr Glover distress, but said that all he ever wanted was a public debate.

‘I am a peaceful man, despite having 12 police officers attend my house on six occasions, and being arrested five times’, Heading told the court.

In his closing remarks, High Bailiff James Brooks said that it was not a defence to say that they treated others in a similar way.

He added that he accepted that Heading can express his views but his behaviour was incessant at times.

The nature of emails and tweets clearly makes them harassing, Mr Brooks said.

Bail continues.

Heading is set to be sentenced March 12 at 10am.