Australasian biker news

SEVEN "men of interest" in the cruise boat death of Dianne Brimble have been accused of large-scale drug dealing in Adelaide nightclubs, with a new witness raising allegations of predatory sexual behaviour, violence and police corruption.
The witness, codenamed Mr White, will tell the coronial inquest into Brimble's death about alleged drug dealing, violent nightclub bashings, links to outlaw motorcycle gangs and offers of drugs for sex at clubs.

Ron Hoenig, counsel assisting the coroner, said yesterday he had been provided with a statement containing the explosive allegations and intended to call the witness as soon as possible this week.

"Mr White, I anticipate, will give evidence that he has, since he was a young person, lived in South Australia and has known Petar Pantic, Mark Wilhelm, Dragan Losic, Matthew Slade, Luigi Vitale, Leo Silvestri and Charlie Kambouris," he said. "He will, I anticipate, give evidence ... that all of the persons I have just named are involved in the distribution of drugs.

"He will give evidence that he doesn't think that any of these persons work much because they spend most of their time in clubs dealing drugs."

Brimble, 42, died on the floor of a cabin aboard the P&O cruise ship Pacific Sky on September 24, 2002, after ingesting a toxic mix of alcohol and gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as fantasy.

A group of eight men, originally from Adelaide, who were on board have been identified as persons of interest to police. Mr Hoenig said Mr White would give evidence that he had seen the eighth person of interest, Ryan Kuchel, "self-indulging on ecstasy" at the Soda Room nightclub in Adelaide.

Mr White had also allegedly seen at least one of the men offer young women drugs, including ecstasy and fantasy, at clubs in exchange for sex.

"Dragan Losic would often go up to girls and say he would give them drugs 'if they f..ked him'," Mr Hoenig said.

Mr Hoenig said Mr White had alleged that in 2004 members of the Finks motorcycle gang bashed Mr Losic because they "did not like what he was doing". Mr White also alleged he had seen Mr Wilhelm and Mr Slade taking drug-affected girls to nightclub car parks.

"He would see Wilhelm and other persons take the girls out to the car park, he would see them go into a white Toyota Celica, and he would see the car rocking like they were having sex," Mr Hoenig said.

On occasion, there would be up to three men in a car with one girl and sometimes a group of people outside the car, Mr Hoenig said.

NSW Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge warned that Mr White's evidence was "untested at this stage".

Mr White alleged that between 2001 and last year the men would visit the Adelaide nightclubs Chemistry on Thursday nights, Soda Room on Friday, Club Land on Saturday and Day Club on Sunday.

They would also allegedly frequent the club Rise, which Mr Hoenig said allegedly had links to the Rebels motorcycle gang.

Mr Hoenig said the witness would allege Mr Wilhelm, Mr Pantic and members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gangs had been involved in a fight in a nightclub in which baseball bats were used.

Mr White alleged that Mr Slade had dealt pills, ketamine, fantasy, cocaine, methamphetamines and LSD to "everyone in clubs".

"In some clubs he'd pull the drugs out and put them on the table so everyone could see them," Mr Hoenig said.

"He will assert that they are selling ounces of methamphetamine a day and thousands of tablets per day.

"He will give evidence that Matthew Slade had the protection of the Jokers motorcycle club and police officers.

The witness alleged Mr Slade had a drug-dealing house in inner-city Adelaide but had moved to another location for improved security.

The witness allegedly saw bundles of notes, which Mr Slade told him were each worth $20,000, at the location.

Mr Hoenig said the witness had "become aware Wilhelm, Slade and Pantic were involved in drug dealing".

He would give evidence about seeing a bottle of Coca-Cola which contained fantasy and later taking drugs from the bottle.

He also alleged that Mr Slade had complained about the operation of his pill-making equipment.