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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Olivia Ireland

Former doctor found not guilty of 'bullshit' Convoy to Canberra protest charges

Former military doctor Bruce Paix was aquitted of his charges. Picture Facebook

A former doctor who took part in the Convoy to Canberra protests has been found not guilty of what he described as "bullshit charges" that alleged he struck a traffic controller with his car.

South Australian man Bruce Paix, 58, was charged with aggravated dangerous driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after police alleged he drove into a Roads ACT worker near the Canberra Airport on February 6.

Mr Paix pleaded not guilty to both charges.

As he appeared via audio-visual link in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, magistrate Louise Taylor acquitted him.

Ms Taylor said police alleged Mr Paix drove his Toyota HiLux into a left-hand lane, in which officers said there were traffic cones, mounted the kerb and hit the hip of a traffic controller who was waving his hands.

However, Mr Paix maintained it was not clear the lane was closed, he was driving slowly and he did not hit the traffic controller.

Instead, he said the traffic controller raised both his hands and smashed them down onto the bonnet of his car.

During the hearing, footage was played of the road, where no traffic cones were visible.

Ms Taylor acknowledged while authorities testified the cones were positioned beyond the area shown in the footage, she could not find beyond reasonable doubt that was the case.

Further, the complainant alleged while testifying it was his left hip that Mr Paix's car had hit, when medical records indicated he said it was his right.

Ms Taylor said while it did not make the complainant's testimony untruthful, she found "there is some difficulty relying on the injuries suffered" by him.

Mr Paix, who spent 30 years as a medical doctor before losing his position due to anti-vaccination beliefs, had defended not handing his car over to police while remanded in custody as he believed he was in jail on "bullshit charges".

Ms Taylor did not find he was "so blinded" by ideology that he would have recklessly driven his car.

She ultimately dismissed both charges levelled at Mr Paix, who was represented by lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith.

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