NSW Fair Trading Minister, Linda Burney, announced the NSW Supreme Court has permanently banned disgraced natural therapies practitioner Jeremiah Jeffrey Hunter from providing a wide range of health services.

Ms Burney said Mr Hunter, previously known as Jeffrey Dummett, was last operating from premises in Manly offering alternative health services.

The judgement permanently bans Mr Hunter from being involved in any business that offers naturopathy, medical herbalism, herbalism, iridology, hydrotherapy, sports medicine, osteopathy, blood analysis, and diet or nutrition advice in the treatment and prevention of illness.

He is also permanently restrained from using in any way, in trade or commerce, the doctorate of philosophy conferred upon him in August 1998 by the Faculty of Medical Studies, Medicina Alternativa Institute, affiliated to the Open International University for Complementary Medicines.

“From now on, Jeremiah Hunter is able to do little more than offer massage services,” Ms Burney said.

“People like Mr Hunter who make false claims about being able to cure the sick are a danger to the wealth and the health of their clients.

“While the life ban is a small win for the sick and desperate who turned to him for help to try and cure their illnesses, it will stop others falling prey to his dubious claims in the future.

“He has been putting this day off for a long time and in 2005 changed his name from Jeffrey Dummett to Jeremiah Hunter and relocated from Oatley to Manly in an attempt to keep his business running.”

Ms Burney said alternative health remedies are used and valued by many people but consumers need to be cautious and do their research on the remedies being offered and the people offering them.

“This case is the second success in six months for Fair Trading in stopping dodgy alternative health practitioners, following the permanent ban on Newcastle-based Paul Perrett in October 2007.”

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