Mercanti's jail release could reignite bikie gang violence

It's been 963 long days since Troy Desmond Mercanti tasted freedom.

And while he's been staring at the ceiling of a Casuarina Prison cell, his brothers in the Finks bikie gang have waged a cold war with his former brothers in the Coffin Cheaters gang.

Make no mistake, the war has had its flashpoints, like the brawl at the Kwinana Motorplex last year. But Mercanti's decision to join the Finks after being thrown out of the Coffin Cheaters "on bad terms" is what sparked the war. And his release from jail, scheduled for August 2, is expected to set tempers flaring, which could send the cold war combatants into red hot battle.

It all started almost four years ago when a senior member of the Comancheros bikie gang, who cannot be named because he has an upcoming trial, was spotted by police in Osborne Park with blood pouring from his nose.

He had been bashed by Mercanti - then a senior member of the Coffin Cheaters - and an associate.

As is usual practice in the criminal world, the Comancheros bikie refused to identify his attackers to police. However, operating under the infamous "catch and kill your own" code of the underworld, the Comancheros swiftly meted out their payback.

Less than two weeks later, the Coffin Cheaters' Bayswater clubhouse was attacked. The Comancheros used fuel to torch a secondary building, destroying up to a dozen of the gang's prized motorcycles and causing up to $500,000 damage.

That attack was a very public challenge to the Coffin Cheaters. But the police played it down. The next day, gang crime operations manager Chris Adams said he did not think the arson attack was done by a rival gang. He also said he was not concerned that it would prompt a retaliatory attack by the Coffin Cheaters. Perhaps he wasn't concerned because, in fact, the retribution had already been carried out. At this point, the majority of the Coffin Cheaters had no idea who was to blame for the clubhouse fire. After all, who in their right mind would want to raise the ire of WA's strongest bikie gang?

But Mercanti's friends knew what was happening. Just a few hours after the bikes went up in flames, so too did a Yokine fish and chip shop owned by the beaten Comancheros bikie's brother.

The next shots in the growing war were fired, literally, in Sydney. Three weeks after the arson attacks, a "sit-down" was organised in an attempt to find a peaceful solution. Senior Comancheros bikies met Mercanti's friends from the Finks bikie gang at Grappa Ristorante in Leichardt. Whether Mercanti was present is still not clear, but the meeting ended with the Comancheros' Marrickville chapter president Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi running for his life as bullets whizzed over his head.

Eventually, the Perth-based Sword Boys street gang brokered a meeting between the Comancheros and the Coffin Cheaters in early 2008 that revealed to the Coffin Cheaters the details of the hostilities. It led to Mercanti's expulsion from the gang for going outside the club to do business with the Finks - a breach of the constitution.

Mercanti was lured to a Moore River goat farm via text message to what he thought was a get-together to mark his first 10 years as a Coffin Cheater. There, he was beaten by several bikies and stripped of his Coffin Cheaters memorabilia. Police sources say senior Coffin Cheater Paul Pellegrino Mule, known as Ringo, was instrumental in Mercanti's expulsion.

It took just a few months for Mercanti to join the Finks - another no-no under the Coffin Cheaters' constitution.

And, if his former gang needed any further motivation to go to war, the theft by Mercanti's partner Tammy Kingdon of $54,000 from a trust fund set up for a dead Cheater's family was just the thing.

She spent the money on the Finks' new Balga clubhouse. Nine months after being booted out of the Coffin Cheaters, Mercanti was riding his Harley-Davidson in Wooroloo with two other Finks bikies when shots were fired. Finks bikie Stephen Wallace, a convicted heroin trafficker, fell from his machine when he was hit in the chest, while Mercanti, too, fell from his bike and suffered injuries to his hand and leg.

In December 2008, police came down hard on the bikies, seizing a small arsenal which was hidden inside the Coffin Cheaters' Bayswater clubhouse, including pump action shotguns, semi-automatic handguns and 100 rounds of ammunition. They also raided the Finks' Balga clubhouse and found weapons, including a stun gun and several swords.

But, by this time, Mercanti was in jail for a nightclub assault.

The war turned cold and only the fight at the motorplex in October last year has threatened the uneasy truce during the 2 1/2 years since.

In that incident, the Cheaters, who boast 49 patched members in WA, beat several Finks mercilessly using baseball bats and other weapons. Finks nominee Troy Smith was badly injured, Wallace was stabbed and had three fingers severed and Fink David Marrapodi was shot in the knee.

Police are now bracing for Mercanti's release from jail on August 2. While both sides suffer in any war, the Finks' Perth chapter has less than a quarter of the Cheaters' membership.

 

latest victim of the Gold Coast's Underbelly-style crime wave may have been executed as revenge for sex crimes.

Police are believed to be investigating whether the victim, 36, was involved in crimes including child pornography.

They have not ruled out bikie gang or organised crime links.

The man was slain on one of the city's busiest roads early yesterday in the Gold Coast's third fatal shooting in less than two months.

 He is believed to have been shot in the back and was found slumped by the roadside on Hooker Blvd at Broadbeach Waters.

The killings and a spate of other violent gun crimes have reinforced fears the strip is being over-run by armed thugs and crime gangs, despite police calls for calm.

An intruder bled to death in a Gold Coast hinterland street after being shot by a resident last week, while Gold Coast police officer Damian Leeding was slain during a hotel robbery in May.



Senior police insist the Coast remains safe, but residents have voiced fear at the rising violence.

The police union said shootings and serious crime were a weekly occurrence and "no one is safe".

The shooting came as the State Government admitted it had slashed funding to the Gold Coast police district by $11 million last year.

Regional crime co-ordinator Superintendent Dave Hutchinson expressed concern at the spate of gun crimes but said most were committed by "specific groups" and the public should not be alarmed.

 

"Every day, we have thousands and thousands of people attend the Gold Coast. They come for the day and they leave without being confronted by any crime whatsoever," Supt Hutchinson said.

"I would reassure the public that the average member of the public shouldn't be concerned and we are putting as many resources as we can into finalising this matter."

But veteran local criminal lawyer Bill Potts said the Coast had become "crime central".

"It's become a sunny place for shady people," he said.

Hells Angels bikie gang boss accused of attempting to extort property from a luxury car dealer will mount an 11th hour appeal for bail to attend his own lavish wedding celebration.

Mostafa Jouayde, 30, from Sydney, was refused bail yesterday despite pleas by his lawyer to allow him to attend the A$32,000, 250-guest ceremony at Lidcome on Saturday.

George Thomas, the lawyer, said Mr Jouayde, a former Bandido gang member and the president of the Hells Angels Parramatta chapter, and his wife, Susie Arida, married in September last year in a small religious ceremony but were yet to celebrate the union.

''They have already paid the hip-hop artists, the magicians, the Lebanese band,'' Mr Thomas told the court. ''The $6000 deposit for the bar ... the wedding dresses, the bridesmaids' dresses.

Mr Jouayde's four co-accused were granted conditional bail on the basis that their involvement in the alleged extortion was less serious but magistrate Christopher Longley initially denied Mr Jouayde bail, despite an offer of A$20,000 surety.

Late yesterday afternoon Mr Thomas returned to the court with a greater offer of surety and was given the right to appeal the bail.

He said that he was under immense pressure from the families of Mr Jouayde and Ms Arida.

Police allege Mr Jouayde and the four co-accused went to the racehorse owner Terry Mullens' car dealership on Parramatta Road on Monday afternoon and demanded a silver BMW M3 valued at A$43,990.

All five men have been charged with attempted extortion and participating in a criminal group.

They are also alleged to have been involved in stealing four luxury cars from the dealer on Thursday before returning them undamaged less than two days later.

Mr Thomas said the prosecution case against Mr Jouayde, the owner of a tattoo shop in Parramatta, was weak.

''I would go so far as [to say] a complete wrong charge,'' he told the court.

He said his client went to the Motor Gallery car dealership on Saturday to ''negotiate'' with Mr Mullens over the trade of a motorbike for a BMW.

Ms Arida sobbed in court as the magistrate refused bail for Mr Jouayde.

''We've just lost all our money because of [the magistrate's decision],'' she said outside the court.

The other four men are due to face court again on July 27.

Sydney police have charged five men who allegedly tried to extort money from racehorse owner Terry Mullens.

Police say the men demanded the money at Mr Mullens' luxury car dealership on Parramatta Road at Burwood, in Sydney's inner west, about 3:30pm (AEST) yesterday.

But within 10 minutes police arrived, including officers from the gangs squad, and arrested them.

Police say the men, aged between 24 and 30, have bikie gang links.

They have been charged with demanding property with menaces and participating in a criminal group, and held in custody to face court today.

Mr Mullens' car dealership was also the target of an armed robbery last Thursday afternoon.

Police say a group of masked men took four luxury cars during the raid.

But the cars were found parked outside the dealership in pristine condition the next day.

POLICE have raided the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle club's headquarters in South Melbourne.

Police executed a warrant on the Thistlethwaite St clubhouse this morning in what is an "ongoing investigation".

Critical Incident Response Teams were involved in searching the premises, which follows another raid last month of a Hells Angels Nomads chapter in Thomastown in which police used explosives to enter the clubhouse.

Several members were arrested in a series of raids.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs are being investigated by a new taskforce codenamed Echo, formed this year.

Mill Park Crime Investigation Unit Detectives with the assistance of Echo Taskforce also executed a number of warrants on properties in northern and northwestern Melbourne this morning.



Early this morning, Mill Park detectives assisted by the Special Operations Group executed a warrant at a residential property in Stirling Parade, East Keilor.

A 32-year-old man from that address was arrested while a business premises in Wedge Street, Mill Park was also raided.

The 32-year-old East Keilor man is currently assisting police with their enquiries.

Coffin Cheaters to face court over Motorplex shooting

Police have charged nine Coffin Cheaters motorcycle gang members and affiliates with giving false and misleading evidence over the shooting and stabbing of members of a rival gang at the Perth Motorplex in October last year.

The Coffin Cheaters members were called before a private Corruption and Crime Commission hearing not long after rival gang members from the Finks, including those injured in the fracas at the popular drag-racing meet, were charged with being in contempt of a similar CCC hearing.

The Coffin Cheaters' six members, including the most senior leaders and three nominees, face 29 charges of giving false and misleading evidence, while two also face charges of disclosing a restricted matter, which relate to the summons to court and potential evidence given.


They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $100,000 in fines, and a potential further three years jail and $60,000 in fines for disclosing a restricted matter.

Three members are due in Perth Magistrate's Court on July 29 and the others on August 5.

Assistant Police Commissioner Nick Anticich said since police exercised exceptional powers authorised by the CCC, Five Finks members, including Stephen Wallace and Tristan Allbeury, have been jailed for two years over their attempt to keep information from police.

"They are not above the law and hopefully these laws will bring them to heel," he said.

"...Once upon a time they ran wild and free but the world is changing and the code of silence is no longer excused."

He said there were very few Finks left outside jail and he believed the exceptional powers had made a "significant impact" on creating a base in WA.

"There are very few (left) and many are residents at the new club house in the prison," he said.

He said over the past 10 months the police strikeforce squad tasked with targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs had charged 24 gang members and carried out 53 drug search warrants.

They had seized 409 grams of methylamphetamine, 460g of cocaine, 125g of ecstasy, 3 kilograms of cannabis, two vials of steroids, $223,000 in cash, two guns, a Taser, ballistics vest and other weapons.

Also $1.3 million in assets have been frozen, including two houses, a Harley Davidson motorcycle and $30,000 in shares.

Mr Anticich said there was an ongoing concern with the "patching over" of international clubs

 

man was bashed by a bikie gang member while sitting in his car at Seven Hills on the weekend and required hospital treatment.

The 40-year-old man was sitting in his car on Artillery Crescent, about 10am on Saturday, when he was attacked.

Police said the victim had accidentally bumped his car horn when a man in the passenger seat of a four-wheel drive behind him got out and attacked him.

Officers said the 28-year-old attacker punched the victim in the face repeatedly and kicked his car before driving away.

The attacker, who police said was a member of the Bandidos bikie gang, then returned to the scene and continued to bash the victim while he waited for police and paramedics.

When police arrived they found the alleged attacker nearby and charged him with common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray, and breach of bail.

He will appear at Blacktown Local Court this week.

Mining tycoon's $500,000 car found burnt

Mining magnate Nathan Tinkler is hoping an arrest will be made soon over the theft and destruction of his $500,000 Ferrari after a break-in at his home.

The high-performance car was found burnt-out in bushland off the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace, north of Newcastle, at about 2.30pm (AEST) on Monday.

'We hope there's an arrest very soon,' a spokesman for Mr Tinkler told AAP.

Police have taken what's left of the burnt-out vehicle for forensic examination.

Tinkler, the owner of the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, and his family were asleep when thieves broke into their Merewether beachside mansion sometime between 11pm on Saturday and 1am on Sunday.

The burglars made off with a stash of family property including watches, laptop computers and a digital camera.

They also took the keys to the 2010 black Ferrari California, which is believed to be one of only five in Australia.

The family slept through the robbery and no one was injured.

There is speculation the robbery may have been carried out by youths, although police have not confirmed this.

 

Drugs in blood of leagues club brawl

A man who died in a melee at the St George Leagues Club in Sydney on grand final night had traces of amphetamine in his blood, an inquest has heard.

In the early hours of October 4 last year, rugby league fan Steven Bosevski died after he was laid face down by police and handcuffed following an altercation at the club.

The cause of his death was described as 'resulting from the combined effects of hypertensive heart disease and methylamphetamine toxicity'.

Ian McClintock SC, counsel assisting the coroner, said Mr Bosevski was 'morbidly obese', weighing 134kg and standing 181cm tall.

He said the inquest would look at how his 'fragile medical state' led to his death and whether the use of capsicum spray in his vicinity had any effect on his condition.

It would also consider the issue of overcrowding at the club on the night of the NRL grand final game, whether there was any credible evidence that Mr Bosevski was tasered by police, and whether the force used by police officers was reasonable.

The court would also hear whether Mr Bosevski being placed on the ground by police officers and the use of pressure to his back or other parts of his body could have had any effect on his medical condition, Mr McClintock said.

The inquest before Deputy Coroner Paul MacMahon is continuing.

 

Melbourne shootings escalate fears of a violent clan feud

SHOTS have been fired across a Melbourne playground in the latest violent outbreak of what police believe is a feud between warring families.

Several shootings and a firebombing have occurred in Melbourne's north in the last nine days.

Early today, at Sunset Boulevard at Jacana, shots were fired into a house in which a number of people, including at least two children, were sleeping.

As the gunman fled, an occupant of the house ran to his own car and gave chase to a children's playground at nearby Glenroy, where more shots were exchanged.

No one was injured in the shootings, which occurred at about 5.30am.

Police believe this morning's violence is linked to a recent spate of attacks between apparently feuding families, with shots fired at the same house last Thursday.

“We believe this is a targeted incident directed at that house and not a wider community issue,” Detective Superintendant Kevin Sheridan said.




“It is certainly a concern to us that these shootings do continue and we're making every effort to detect who the offenders are and prosecute them.”

Over the past nine days, five violent incidents have occurred at the Sunset Boulevard house and at a home in the nearby suburb of Coolaroo, which was last week rammed with a truck and had an explosive device tossed through a window.

Supt Sheridan said police were looking for a white sports car and dark-coloured sedan seen in the vicinity of this morning's shooting. He appealed to the families for help.

“If the families involved in these (shootings) would like to come forward and assist police in investigations we would certainly welcome that.

“We have interviewed them all extensively but any further assistance would certainly be welcome to bring these events to a close,” he said.

 

MAN will face court after police found guns, ammunition and drugs at a home in Wetherill Park today.

About 8.30am Strike Force Raptor officers searched the premises and seized three pistols, two shotguns, ammunition and quantity of amphetamine and cannabis.

A 63-year-old man was arrested at the scene and was taken to Fairfield police station.

He was charged with multiple counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol, possessing an unauthorised firearm, possessing ammunition without a licence, possessing a prohibited drug and two counts of not keeping firearms safe.

The man was granted conditional bail to face Fairfield Local Court on July 18.

Strike Force Raptor is a proactive police operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and their alleged associated criminal enterprises.

AT least three shots have been fired from a sports car at another car in Melbourne's north.

Witnesses have told police two men travelling in a Mercedes-Benz along Pascoe Vale Rd, Glenroy, fired the shots at a black Astra or Barina about 4.20pm (AEST) today.

Police believe no shots were fired from the targeted vehicle.

No one was apparently hurt and no arrests have been made.

A Hells Angels bikie has been killed after crashing his Harley Davidson in Sydney's inner west.

Police say he was riding through Stanmore around 1am Sunday morning when he lost control on Trafalgar Street and hit a parked car.

He was thrown from his bike and died before paramedics arrived.

A friend riding with him at the time has been questioned by police.

They want to speak to anyone else who saw the motorbike leading up to the crash.

Two members of the New Boys street gang have gone on trial after a brawl outside an Adelaide tattoo parlour in April last year.

The men, Vincenzo Focarelli and Michael Syfris, were allegedly involved in a fight with members of rival group the Hells Angels outside a Hindley Street tattoo parlour.

The pair pleaded not guilty to the charge of affray.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court was shown security vision which allegedly shows the accused men outside the tattoo parlour before they were approached by members of the Hells Angels.

The prosecution alleges Focarelli swung a metal pole at the group and Syfris used a chair to hit a man.

Focarelli's lawyer, Sam Abbott, argued the men were acting in self-defence against what he described as a "full frontal all-out attack" on his client.

POLICE swarmed Geelong yesterday as hundreds of Black Uhlans bikies gathered to farewell one of their own.

A huge police presence, with officers on the roads and in the sky, greeted the Uhlans and confused and worried local residents as the bikies met at their clubhouse in Belmont to send off Bell Park man Jeff Julian.

The 37-year-old died after losing control of his Harley Davidson while riding at Lara on June 6.

Planning for the worst, detectives and general duties officers joined their highway patrol colleagues and officers from the special response teams and mounted police in flocking to Skilled Stadium yesterday morning.

The football ground acted as the police base for the day.

Mourners many donning black armbands honouring their lost brother "Jeffro" began arriving at the Grayling St clubhouse hours before official proceedings began.


About eight police cars parked near the intersection of Barwon Heads Rd throughout the service, watching for any signs of trouble.

Others lined streets nearby, while a police helicopter hovered over the clubhouse from the sky.

When it was time for the hundreds of Uhlans to begin their procession to Eastern Cemetery, extra police resources flooded on to the scene.

The Uhlans formed a guard of honour to allow Mr Julian's coffin, carefully placed on a motorcycle sidecar and bearing the club's flag, to pass before they roared out behind the casket in droves.

Police in high-visibility vests stood along the major arterials of Barwon Heads Rd, La Trobe Tce, Ryrie St and Boundary Rd, while others followed behind the procession on police motorcycles and marked and unmarked cars and vans. The spectacle generated strong interest from passers-by and Geelong motorists, with many drivers' afternoons interrupted by the farewell, which slowed traffic considerably.

A MAN and a pregnant woman were rushed to hospital after a shooting on the Gold Coast believed to be linked to bikie gangs.

The man, 42, was shot in the shoulder at a house on the Tamborine-Oxenford Road at Wongawallan in the Gold Coast hinterland about 6.20pm after two men entered the property, reported the Courier Mail.

He was taken by ambulance to the Gold Coast Hospital.

The shooting is understood to be bikie-related. The victim and his partner were believed to have been tied up. A child was also present when the man was shot.




Officers from Taskforce Hydra, which investigates the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs, were being called into the investigation.

Police regional duty officer Inspector Paul Reynolds said a man had been shot in the chest and had been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"It's in the very early stages of the investigation and we're still getting full versions from the people involved to ascertain exactly what happened," he said.

 A pregnant woman, 39, who was at the house, was also being taken to hospital 'as a precaution', a Department of Emergency Services spokeswoman said.

She said the man was in a stable condition.

Police are seeking public assistance in locating the two men who are believed to be driving a late 90s model white Holden utility, believed to be fitted with mag wheels and in good condition

Three more charges have been laid against a Rebels motorcycle gang member who already faced a charge of possessing methamphetamine for supply

.

Bernard Monk, 32, of Whangarei Heads, was again remanded in custody to re-appear in the Whangarei District Court for a bail application on July 1.

He was charged with possessing methamphetamine for supply, possessing precursor substances and resisting police when he first appeared in court on May 25.

Three more charges - possessing P for supply, assaulting police and wilfully obstructing/resisting/deceiving an officer were laid yesterday.

Possession of methamphetamine for supply, which is a class A drug, carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Monk entered no plea and was bailed to appear in Whangarei District Court on June 16.

Two others, Warren Henwood and Nicholas Nordstrand, who face similar charges, were remanded in custody and will also re-appear for a bail hearing on July 1.

A FINK and three Hells Angels associates have been arrested after a violent bikie brawl in Hindley St in May.

Police said 16 men had been charged now with aggravated riot after the fight at the City nightclub on May 29.

Members of the public dobbed in the latest men to be arrested, police said.

Crime Gangs Task Force Detective Inspector Steve Taylor said the investigations were ongoing and he thanked the public for their help.

"The response from the public to help identify those involved in this crime has been overwhelming," Det-Insp Taylor said.

"More than 5,500 people have watched the clip on www.youtube.com/sapolicenews .

"I'd like to thank members of the public for their help."

Police released images of two men who are still wanted in connection to the fight.




"If anyone knows these men, or has information on where they may be located, please contact BankSA Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," he said.

"Violent bikie behaviour will not be tolerated."

The four arrested men have been released on strict bail conditions and will be jointly charged with the initial twelve arrests.

Heavily armed police have raided four properties linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang in Melbourne's north this morning.

A senior member of the Nomad chapter of the Hell's Angels is in custody following the raids in Thomastown, Greensborough and Bundoora about 8am today.

Police are believed to have blasted their way into a heavily fortified property in Thomastown, believed to be the headquarters of the Nomad chapter.

Advertisement: Story continues below

A Hell's Angels warehouse in Thomastown. Photo: File photo
"We were required to force entry to those premises. I can't really go into detail as to how we did it," Superintendent Doug Fryer told radio 3AW today.

"This is part of our ongoing focus around outlaw motorcycle gang criminality and certainly Victoria Police is continuing to take affirmative action to prevent, detect and disrupt organised criminality among OMCG clubs, an we will continue to do so."

Police are still searching the properties this morning.

suspicious fire at a tattoo shop in Perth's north has left an estimated $200,000 damage bill.

A suspicious fire at a tattoo shop in Perth's north has left an estimated $200,000 damage bill.

Firefighters were called to the parlour in Mullaloo about 1am (WST) on Sunday.

Police say the front window of the shop was smashed in and accelerant was thrown inside and set alight.

The shop is believed to be owned by a member of the Rebels bikie gang and police say they have not ruled out the possibility of outlaw motorcycle gangs being involved in the incident.

Neighbouring businesses were also damaged by the blaze, police said.

The arson squad were at the scene on Sunday to investigate the fire.

police Armed Offenders Squad were part of a raid on a Whangarei property where bags of methamphetamine were found and a patched Rebels motorcycle gang member was arrested.

The police Armed Offenders Squad were part of a raid on a Whangarei property where bags of methamphetamine were found and a patched Rebels motorcycle gang member was arrested.

Whangarei police busted their way into a Herekino St property on Friday where they found three men and bags of methamphetamine with a street value of up to $15,000.

No firearms were discovered at the property there was $4000 cash found.

Three local men were arrested and are jointly charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply. They were held in custody and were scheduled to appear in Whangarei District Court on Monday where police were opposing their bail.

Other drug related paraphernalia was found at the property.

Not on my patch, MP tells gangs

TOUGH-talking National MP Todd McClay is taking aim at the gangs.

The Rotorua-based MP wants to introduce a private member's bill that will ban gang patches from all property that government departments own or rent.

McClay intends to put his bill in the Parliamentary ballot this week and says once it is drawn its introduction is a formality, because he already has the numbers to vote it in.

"This is one more step towards making the life of gang members difficult," McClay told Sunday News.

"This is about recognising victims, the rights of victims, and putting them before criminals. It's one more step towards finding a way of getting rid of them because they are just criminal organisations as far as I am concerned."

He said his proposed law had been 18 months in the making, but when it was passed gangs would be stripped of the patches they wore.

"They wear their patches and other insignia as a mark of pride.

"It identifies the wearer as someone who is involved in crime, and who has probably had to commit crime for the right to wear that patch."

But his law would mean fines of up to $2000 for those who broke it.

It would also give police officers the right to confiscate and destroy patches and other insignia.

The High Court recently ruled a gang patch ban in Whanganui was unlawful.

That bylaw, introduced by the Whanganui council, had been in place for 18 months before it was struck out because it covered too much of the city.

McClay said his legislation had been written in a way to avoid legal challenges, clearly stating which buildings and property, including car parks, it would apply to.

Gang patches would be out in state-funded schools, hospitals, airports and government departments such as Winz, ACC, Housing NZ, Sport and Recreation NZ, Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Maori Development.

McClay said he was talking to officials from hospitals around the country, who told him it was common for gang members to wear their patches into wards when visiting family or friends.

"They may not necessarily have any intent while visiting, but it must be very uncomfortable for parents or staff caring for other sick children to see that," he said.

He was also aware of "intimidation" inflicted on workers in a range of government departments when visited by patch-wearing gang members.

The ban would stop short of banning patches from the 66,000 state houses owned or managed by Housing NZ and, while it would cover all buildings on Conservation Department property, it would not cover blocks of native bush.

"If a number of idiot gang members want to stand in the bush somewhere with their patches on, good on them," McClay said.

Opponents of the Whanganui bylaw argued it was a breach of civil rights and freedom of expression but McClay said he had no sympathy with those who were offended by his proposed legislation.

"I will put the rights of law-abiding citizens before criminals every day of the week. There will be those who will say it's an infringement but these are gangs, people who attack old ladies in the streets or sell drugs."

McClay said his bill would provide police with another "tool" to tackle gang-related crime.

 

POLICE will continue a manhunt for bikies involved in a brawl between the Hells Angels and the Finks.

Yesterday 170 Crime Gangs officers raided 20 homes and arrested 12 "patch" members or associates of the outlaw clubs who, police say, took part in a brawl at the City Nightclub, Hindley St, about 5am.

They were charged under the Aggravated Riot laws that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

The brawl took place just hours after the United Motorcycle Clubs staged a ride south of Adelaide to mark unity between bikie clubs.

Crime Gangs officers yesterday warned bikies not to seek reprisals and appealed to those associating with bikies to walk away before it was too late.

"Unless you want a life of violence, a life of crime where you are going to get a lot of attention from police and other gangs, I suggest you cut all ties to the club before it's too late," Detective Inspector Steve Taylor said. "The reality is, there's always opportunity for retaliations or reprisals, but the message is very simple from police  ...  (don't) engage in any sort of behaviour because we have a number of strategies in place to mitigate any risk."




Police say Sunday's brawl was sparked by a fight between a Hells Angels member and a Finks bikies outside The Firm nightclub, North Tce, an hour earlier. Both were arrested and charged over the fight.

The subsequent brawl, between 25 bikies, left four men in hospital - including one who had 16 staples in a head wound - and was captured on security vision handed to police.

Police say they uncovered a cache of weapons - including crossbows and knuckledusters - and illegal drugs, including amphetamines and steroids at the Finks' clubrooms and $16,500 in cash.

Insp Taylor said the violence was common among bikies.

"It's a stark contrast to the image (bikies) portrayed the day before with the (clubs) run when they portrayed an image of one of unity and camaraderie," he said. "The face we saw on Sunday morning is what we say is the true face of bikies."

The accused men were bailed to appear in court later.

Bikies arrested after SA nightclub brawl

Adelaide police have arrested 12 men connected with two bikie gangs after a violent brawl at a city nightclub was captured by security cameras.

Police said 13 members of the Hells Angels and 12 members of the Finks clashed violently about 5am on May 29 at the Hindley Street venue.

They attacked each other with bottles, glasses, metal bollards and heavy metal bar stools, with several members of the group suffering serious head injuries.


Detective Inspector Steve Taylor, from the Crime Gangs Task Force, said the incident showed the true nature of the relationship between bikie gangs.

While they had recently portrayed themselves as law-abiding citizens who were united in the fight against SA's anti-gang laws, the opposite was actually the truth, he said.

"These pictures show members of motorcycle gangs are not ordinary citizens who ride motorcycles on weekends as a fun get together," Det Insp Taylor said.

"They are not unified, they are violent offenders who have no problem playing out their differences in public.

"This violence has included shootings, bombings and stabbings."

Det Insp Taylor said it was lucky no one was killed in the latest incident.

No arrests were made on the night, with police launching a major investigation involving about 170 officers.

They raided clubrooms operated by both the Finks and the Hells Angels on Friday.

Those arrested included seven members of the Finks, including the club's sergeant-at-arms, one member of the Hells Angels and four people associated with the Hells Angels.

They were all charged with aggravated riot, a recently introduced offence which carries a 10-year maximum jail term.

The 12 were granted police bail on strict conditions and will appear in court at a later date.

 

"I shanked him" and dropped a knife in a drain as he fled the scene,

One of six Comanchero bikies accused of murdering a man in a brawl at Sydney airport said "I shanked him" and dropped a knife in a drain as he fled the scene, a jury has heard.

The short and unexpected fight, sparked by a "chance encounter" of rival gang members, culminated in the death of Anthony Zervas, the brother of Hells Angel Peter Zervas.

The court was told Mr Zervas was attacked with bollards, kicked, punched and stomped on as he lay on the floor of the domestic terminal.

Advertisement: Story continues below
He suffered "massive head injuries and stab wounds", Crown Prosecutor Natalie Adams said in her opening address in the NSW Supreme Court trial on Wednesday.

Comanchero bikies Mahmoud Hawi, Farres Abounader, Canan Eken, Zoran Kisacanin, Christian Menzies and Usama Potrus, have pleaded not guilty to murdering 29-year-old Mr Zervas in the March 2009 altercation.

Hells Angel David Padovan has denied a single charge of riot.

Ms Adams told the court Comanchero members travelling from Melbourne to Sydney "by chance" recognised Hells Angels boss Derek Wainohu on the same flight.

Hawi, the former Comanchero national president, stared and growled at Mr Wainohu before each side called for reinforcements, the court heard.

Anthony Zervas and his brother had been helping paint a house when they received a message to head for the airport.

Meanwhile, Comanchero members also began making their way there.

An altercation occurred at Gate 5, allegedly sparked by Hawi or Mr Wainohu, who one witness said "got punched" and fell to the ground.

Mr Wainohu didn't take any further part in the violence, the crown said.

According to another witness, Hawi threatened the retreating Hells Angels, saying: "You're a dead man walking".

A second brawl broke out and moved through the check-in area as airport staff and passengers looked on, but there was no clear CCTV footage of the assault because the nearest camera wasn't working that day, the court heard.

But Ms Adams said evidence suggested the victim "was involved in the fighting from the start and was chased by Comanchero as the fighting erupted".

One witness described seeing Mr Zervas "swing at Hawi in an upward direction" resulting in Hawi being cut on the arm.

Others have described seeing up to five bollards in the air at the same time, and up to four men attacking Mr Zervas, who had a high level of cocaine in his system, the court heard.

Hawi's DNA was found under the victim's fingernails and broken scissor handles were located near the body, with the remainder of the scissors embedded in his jacket.

As the men fled, Menzies is alleged to have to have admitted "he thought he killed him" while Abounader allegedly said to an associate "I shanked him, I want to drop it", before discarding a knife in a drain.

Ms Adams said the crown case is that both scissors and a knife could have been used to inflict the stab wounds.

The trial, before Justice Robert Allan Hulme, is expected to last six months.

Six members of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club and one member of the Hells Angels went on trial

Six members of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club and one member of the Hells Angels went on trial in the Supreme Court in Parramatta this morning charged over a violent brawl at Sydney Airport in 2009 in which a man was killed.

On trial before Justice Robert Hulme are Mahmoud Hawi, 30, Farres Abounader, 29, Canan Eken, 28, Zoran Kisacanin, 24, Christian Menzies, 28, and Usama Potrus, 28.

Each has been charged with murder and riot and four have been additionally charged with affray.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The seventh man, David Padovan, 27, a member of the Hells Angels, has been charged with riot and affray.

The jury, empanelled this week from a pool of 3000 people, comprises eight men and seven women. Of these 15, 12 will eventually deliver verdicts in the trial, which is expected to take up to six months.

In her opening address, Crown prosecutor Natalie Adams went through the events at Gate 5 and at the check-in area at Sydney Airport's Domestic Terminal on March 22, 2009.

She went through the account of five Comanchero boarding a plane to Sydney and when they arrived recognised the president of the Hells Angels, Derek Wainohu.

She told the jury that there were a series of telephone calls and text messages and the result of that was that seven Hells Angels confronted a group of Comanchero at the airport and there was a violent confrontation seen by staff and other onlookers.

She said that, before the altercation, Anthony Zervas’s brother Peter was summoned by text message to come to the airport. Antony came with him.

Ms Adams said that Anthony Zervas, who was not a Hells Angel, had died of head injuries and stabbing and that the attack on him had continued when he was on the ground.

Bikie said he 'shanked' rival, court hears

ONE of the alleged participants in the riot at Sydney Airport in 2009 admitted as he left the scene he had ''shanked'' Anthony Zervos, who lay dying behind him, before dropping the knife into a drain, counsel told the Supreme Court at Parramatta yesterday.

Natalie Adams, opening for the Crown before Justice Robert Hulme, said that Zervos had gone to the airport with his brother Peter on March 22, 2009, to support the national president of the Hells Angels, Derek Wainohu. He had joined Peter and four other Hells Angels in confronting 12 members of the Comanchero gang. But he had fallen or been knocked down, had been bashed with a bollard and stabbed several times, two of the stab wounds going through his right lung.

Ms Adams said that in August 2009, police recovered a knife from a drain. No DNA profile was found on it but its discovery was consistent with what a Comanchero gang member, Farres Abounader, had allegedly told his colleague on the day of the fight.

 

MOTORCYCLE gangs across Geelong have been put on notice as part of a police crackdown on outlaw bikies.

Victoria Police yesterday unveiled the Echo Taskforce, a unit created to investigate and prevent outlaw motorcycle gang crime.

Geelong biker Kim Sloan, one of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club's "several" national secretaries, confirmed police had already been in contact with local groups in the lead-up to yesterday's launch.

Mr Sloan said the "friendly reminder" related to ensuring bikers obeyed the law during poker runs and other club activities. He was not particularly concerned by the creation of a taskforce to target motorcycle gangs.

"There's not that much in it (the taskforce), really. We're fine with the police, they're cool," he said.

"This is just expected because of the new government in Victoria and because it was an election promise.

"I think it's a little over the top but it's the Government's directive for the police to do this, so we're not going to take it personally."

The crackdown includes a ban on outlaw bikie gangs fortifying their clubhouses.

There are 24 bikie gangs with 56 clubhouses across Victoria.

A government spokesman said the draft laws would include anti-fortification provisions to stop outlaw bikie gangs setting up clubhouses fortified by protective barricades.

"The Government expects the legislation to be introduced this year," the spokesman said.

The National Crime Authority has in the past reported that the main source of income for bikie gangs revolved around the importation of firearms, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, tax evasion, extortion, money laundering and trafficking in stolen goods. These claims are disputed by most motorcycle clubs.

Geelong hasn't had a major motorcycle gang incident for the past two years. However, a torrid stretch from 2007 to 2009 featured drive-by shootings, a suspected turf war and police raids.

Motorcycle gang crime in Geelong came to a head with the fatal shooting of Bandidos member Ross Brand on October 22, 2008.

In March this year, John Bedson was jailed for 23 years for Mr Brand's murder. His brother Derek was jailed for 12 years for his part in the shooting.

Echo Taskforce member Detective Superintendent Doug Fryer said police would crack down on organised crime, firearms offences, drug activity, illegal links to the alcohol industry and brothels, and any other offences committed by outlaw patched bikies.

"We're obviously aware that not all bikies are involved in organised criminality but those that are will be subject to investigations by Victoria Police," Det Supt Fryer said.

"We're not talking about people who just ride bikes, we're talking about people who brand themselves as outlaws and as outlaw motorcycle gangs. Many of them and most of them have a patch on their jacket of a 1 per cent. The 1 per cent represents that they are the one per cent of the community who are outside the laws and standards of the community."

Major bikie gangs in Geelong include the Bandidos, Rebels, Black Uhlans and Death before Dishonour.

Bikie stabbed with broom in prison brawl

ROCK Machine bikie charged over the attempted murder of Rebels bikie president Nick Martin has allegedly been stabbed in the neck with a broom in prison.

The 30-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was seriously injured during a brawl at Casuarina Prison yesterday, Perth Now reports.

The man was allegedly wounded some time between 4pm and 5pm (WST), and was taken to hospital for surgery.

A Department of Corrective Services spokeswoman told Perth Now police were investigating the incident.

In recent months, a tattoo shop was firebombed, bikies were assaulted and explosives were seized.

The injured Rock Machine bikie is facing charges of attempted murder, wilfully destroying evidence and possessing an unlicensed firearm.

Police allege he went to Mr Martin's home on March 18 and fired a gun twice in a drive-by shooting.

One shot hit Mr Martin in the elbow while the second struck a motorcycle at the house.

Police allege the accused later set a car on fire to destroy evidence.

 

MAN accused of shooting dead a nominee of the Rebels bikie gang at his Dianella home last year could stand trial for murder in November

MAN accused of shooting dead a nominee of the Rebels bikie gang at his Dianella home last year could stand trial for murder in November, a court has heard.

Kaine Phillip McNamara, of Bicton, has been charged with the murder of 39-year-old father of two Mario Perrin.

Mr Perrin, who was a nominee for membership of the Rebels bikie gang, died in hospital after being shot in the head at his home in October last year.

Mr McNamara, 32, has been charged over the shooting and has been held in custody for seven months.

Today Mr McNamara appeared in the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court via video link from Casuarina Prison.

The court was told that a ballistics trajectory report pertaining to the case was yet to be finished and that the trial would take up to three weeks.

Magistrate Jan Whitbread listed Mr McNamara’s case for a provisional trial date beginning on November 14.