Death threat accused Belfast man wants King in court or he’ll ‘declare independence for Atlantis’

Representing himself at Coleraine Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, 43-year-old Stephen Altimas told a judge he was giving 40 days’ notice to “the lords of devolved institutions of Scotland, Wales and NI and the government of the Republic of Ireland that your sovereign head King Charles III present himself to court in human form and I be presented in human form at the same court to prove that the Lord God Almighty has chosen to establish his throne in the heavens and rule His kingdom on earth.”

“If your sovereign head refuses to attend, then I will present this court a declaration of independence of a new sovereign state of the Atlantic isle - Atlantis,” declared Altimas, who appeared at court by video link from prison.

With muffled giggling audible in the background, District Judge Peter King said there was “nothing remotely funny or joking” about the case and told Altimas that any issues he wanted to explore or ventilate are “best done in the Crown court”.

Altimas, of the Antrim Road in north Belfast, is in custody accused of two charges of making a threat to kill a named complainant at Antrim Courthouse on February 2 and 11 this year.

The defendant had also been charged with making a threat to kill North Belfast MP John Finucane, but with the case returned to the Crown court yesterday, the PPS has not proceeded with that allegation.

The charges arise following a number of incidents during proceedings at Antrim Crown Court in February where Altimas allegedly shouted threats against his victim, declaring that he would “cut his head off” if freed.

Remanding Altimas back into custody, Mr King returned the case to Antrim Crown Court and scheduled the arraignment to be heard on January 17.