Rebels
in
court
over
brawl
Shannon
Molloy
|
January
19,
2008
-
2:05PM
Six
members
of
an
outlaw
motorcycle
gang
appeared
in a
Brisbane
court
this
morning
on
charges
relating
to
an
alleged
road-side
brawl
with
a
rival
gang
on
Bribie
Island
last
year.
Police
arrested
seven
members
of
the
Rebels
motorcycle
club
yesterday
after
executing
search
warrants
at
homes
around
Caboolture.
The
arrests
followed
an
11-month
police
operation
targeting
motorcycle
gangs.
John
William
Skilton,
40,
Brett
David
Picard,
43,
Peter
Douglas
Rauhina,
36,
Jeffrey
Rhys
Hotz,
46,
Stephen
James
Hopkins,
46,
and
Stephen
John
Hellier,
49,
faced
the
Brisbane
Magistrates
Court
this
morning.
The
charges
relate
to
an
incident
on
February
25,
when
members
of
the
Bandidos
motorcycle
gang
were
allegedly
run
down
while
returning
from
a
barbeque.
A
number
of
Bandidos
members
were
knocked
from
their
bikes
and
allegedly
assaulted
with
baseball
bats
and
lengths
of
timber.
At
least
one
shot
was
also
fired.
Skilton,
Picard,
Hellier,
Rauhina
and
Hopkins
face
one
count
each
of
dangerous
operation
of a
vehicle,
acts
intended
to
maim,
grievous
bodily
harm,
going
armed
to
cause
fear,
affray,
assault
occasioning
bodily
harm
whilst
in
company
and
armed
and
perjury.
Jeffrey
Rhys
Hotz
faces
one
count
of
perjury.
The
charges
of
perjury
relate
to
testimony
given
at a
Crime
and
Misconduct
Commission
hearing
last
October.
Bail
was
opposed
on
each
occasion,
with
police
prosecutor
Sergeant
Henri
Rantala
saying
the
men
posed
an
unacceptable
risk
to
the
community
and
could
potentially
try
to
interfere
with
witnesses.
Police
intelligence
indicated
the
alleged
attack
last
February
was
a
"revenge"
for
an
earlier
altercation
between
the
rival
gangs.
There
was
a
potential
for
future
reprisals
against
witnesses
who
had
"broken
the
bikie
code
of
silence",
he
said.
Defence
lawyer
Andrew
Bale,
acting
for
Skilton,
Picard,
Hellier,
Hopkins
and
Hotz,
said
the
prosecution
case
was
weak
and
that
his
clients
had
denied
there
was
a
"bikie
war"
between
the
Rebels
and
Bandidos.
Chief
Judge
Marshall
Irwin
granted
bail
for
the
five
men,
but
imposed
strict
conditions
that
included
having
no
contact
with
their
co-accused
or
any
member
of
the
Rebels
bikie
gang.
The
men
are
also
required
to
report
to
their
local
police
station
three
times
a
week
and
surrender
their
passports.
However
the
court
refused
bail
for
Rauhina
based
on
his
criminal
history
and
the
fact
he
has
a
twin
brother,
making
the
enforcement
of
conditions
potentially
difficult.
All
six
men
will
reappear
on
March
31.
