Yesterday, at the Small Claims Court in Newmarket, Deputy Judge Bernard Aron ruled that Maddie Di Muccio’s libel action against regional councillor John Taylor should proceed to full trial.

Di Muccio now has 60 days to ask the Court to set a trial date.

Astonishingly, the Judge called for the police to be physically present in Court before he would begin the settlement hearing.

Di Muccio has now amended her original claim and now alleges, in addition to defamation, Taylor committed misfeasance and malfeasance in public office. She says he was responsible for

“abuse of power, intentional infliction of mental suffering and injurious falsehoods, targeted malice, breach of confidence and breach of privacy”.

In her amended statement of claim Di Muccio comes across as a tortured soul. She says Taylor “has a history of abusing his authority in office to defame my character”. He displays “an arrogant, high handed and abusive attitude” towards her. She says Taylor continues to defame her character “even as a private citizen”.

Di Muccio stressed out

She says this has taken its toll on her health. Taylor’s alleged false statements about her continue to make her a “target of ridicule” in her own community and this has caused her great personal stress which required “significant medical intervention”.

Maddie Di Muccio is, of course, a well known drama queen but no-one wants to see her health suffer as a result of all this. It is open to her to drop the action against Taylor at any time before the matter goes to trial. No-one is forcing her to extract $5,000 in damages from Taylor. She brings this on herself.

She and her perpetually angry husband, John Blommesteyn, should strike camp and move on with their lives. Both of them spend a huge amount of time shaking their fists at the Moon and yelling about all sorts of imagined injustices.

If Di Muccio’s Court action against Taylor succeeds I shall be astonished.

In fact, I am amazed it got this far.

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