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Former bikie boss loses finger in naked shootout

A former Canberra bikie boss lost a finger during a naked firefight with armed men at his southside home.

Former Comanchero ACT president Peter Zdravkovic had been in the shower about 10.35pm on June 28, while his family slept nearby.

However, outside a group of three armed men were climbing over his backfence.

Dramatic details of the incident, which was captured on CCTV, were revealed in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Court documents said an armed group opened a roller door to a carport and signalled to a stolen vehicle, driven by a fourth man, which reversed into the driveway to deliver jerry cans of petrol.

Petrol was poured onto three cars.

 
 
Meanwhile, two men, armed with a shotgun and automatic pistol, opened fire on a naked Mr Zdravkovic as he walked out of the bathroom.

Another man poured petrol into the home through the smashed sliding door.

Police allege Mr Zdravkovic armed himself with a rifle and returned fire with two shots, before he was struck in the left hand, severing his left middle finger.

One bullet from the shootout ripped through walls and missed a sleeping neighbour by about a metre.

The four attackers retreated, setting the cars ablaze, before escaping in the stolen vehicle.

 
An allegedly naked, armed, and wounded Mr Zdravkovic then checked front and backyards before hiding the rifle in the roof space of the laundry.

Court documents said the Canberra chapter of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Club had recently split in two, with a faction loyal to Mr Zdravkovic then cutting ties with the gang.

The court heard ACT Policing had received intelligence that Mr Zdravkovic had joined a newly formed Finks ACT chapter, a claim the defendant denied.

Detective Senior Constable Stewart Alexander, from the witness box, said there had been friction between the Finks and Comanchero and police suspected the attack had been carried out by members of a rival gang.

 
Ilifeleti Folauhola, 21, and Mr Zdravkovic were arrested on Monday after police allegedly found a loaded .357 calibre Ruger revolver in their car.
A search of a home the men had been staying in also allegedly uncovered a loaded 22/250 Ruger bolt action rifle, a shortened Marlin nine-millimetre semi-automatic rifle, a magazine containing .45 calibre pistol rounds, methamphetamine, and a substance suspected to be MDMA, or ecstasy.

Mr Folauhola allegedly told police he owned the weapons, which he intended to use for self-defence if he was attacked.

Mr Folauhola was charged with unauthorised possession of firearms, failure to correctly store firearms, and possession of ammunition.

 
Mr Zdravkovic was charged with unauthorised possession of a firearm, possess a prohibited weapon, drugs, and failure to correctly store a firearm in relation to the June incident.

Neither men entered pleas.

Prosecutor Vienna Connolly opposed both defendants bail applications, arguing the pair posed a risk of reoffending and risked the welfare of the community.

Ms Connolly said bail conditions could not mitigate the risk of further gun and gang related violence.

Mr Zdravkovic’s defence lawyer, Paul Edmonds, reminded the court that his client had been the victim in the incident and bail should no be refused for his own safety.

 
 

Mr Edmonds said his client had quit gang life and was no longer affiliated with any club, which he speculated could be a motive for the attack.

“One doesn’t lightly or easily cease to be a member of such an organisation,” Mr Edmonds said.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston granted both men bail with number of conditions, including non-association.

Mr Zdravkovic and Mr Folauhola will return to court later this month.

 

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