Home Aus Biker News Bike News Rides Other Stuff Events Tech Links Adults Only
Victim
in fear of bikie reprisal
29Nov06
PITA Wilson removed a bulletproof vest he was wearing just hours
before he was allegedly shot eight times by Finks bikie Yassar Bakir.
Mr Wilson, of New Zealand, yesterday took the witness stand for the
first day of a committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court
where Mr Bakir, 31, and co-accused Steven Milton Hill, 27, who
allegedly drove him to the shooting, faced charges of attempted
murder.
Mr Bakir and Mr Hill have not entered pleas.
Heavy security including seven detectives, some wearing bulletproof
vests, guarded the courtroom.
Four additional detectives and uniformed police guarded the entrance
to the courtroom, demanding identification and waving a metal
detector over everyone who entered.
Two additional armed police helped court security staff to check
everyone who entered the court building.
Before the committal hearing started, police prosector Sergeant
Warren Murdock made an application to have the court closed because
Mr Wilson feared retribution from members of the Finks Motorcycle
Club from his evidence.
"Members of a gang were surrounding the hospital (while Mr Wilson
was seeking treatment), there were threats," said Sgt Murdock.
"Members of the gang do not stop at anything ... (look at) the Royal
Pines incident they were engaged in.
"There is fear of retribution and the defendant has concerns about
giving evidence."
The defence said closing the court was unnecessary and magistrate
Ron Kilner rejected the application.
Mr Wilson told the court he had met Mr Bakir up to six times in
Surfers Paradise at 'social events'.
He said Mr Bakir had personal items belonging to him and that he
needed them back before returning to New Zealand.
Mr Wilson said he had trouble getting hold of Mr Bakir, but late on
June 9, just hours before the alleged shooting, he received a phone
call from Mr Hill telling him he would take him to collect his
things.
The meeting was supposed to be at Jupiters Casino, but the plans
were changed and the meeting would be in the car park of Fisherman's
Wharf at Main Beach.
He said he agreed because he thought it would be 'a safe place'. But
Mr Wilson told the court Mr Hill did not stop at the tavern and
instead kept driving.
"I realised there were a lot of lights and all of a sudden we were
on a country road," Mr Wilson told the court.
"I saw someone walking on the side of the road. I saw it was Yassar.
It was not until I saw Yassar that I realised we had passed (Fisho's)."
Mr Wilson said he got out of the car and went to shake Mr Bakir's
hand.
"I saw flashes, heard a noise and felt pain. I knew I had been
shot," he said. "The flashes came from Yassar."
Mr Wilson said Mr Bakir stood above him after he fell to the ground
and aimed the gun at his face.
He was shot eight times, the first in the stomach.
He received gunshot wounds to both hands, in which he now had little
feeling because of extensive nerve damage.
"I was on the ground and I started rolling to protect me from
getting shot in the head," he said. "When I was rolling I could see
the full moon and Yassar was standing above me with the gun. I was
looking straight at it."
Mr Wilson said he heard Mr Hill drive off, followed by Mr Bakir.
He said that earlier that day he had been wearing a bulletproof vest
because he was concerned for his safety after Mr Bakir and Mr Hill
allegedly took one of his friends away because 'they had their own
problems with him'.
He said the Royal Pines incident in March in which five bikies were
either shot or stabbed during a violent brawl between members of the
Finks and Hells Angels also had scared him.
He said he took the vest off hours before the incident but hid a
machete in his pants.
Throughout the court proceedings yesterday Mr Bakir's brother, Gold
Coast mobile phone entrepreneur Ron Bakir, sat in the public gallery
taking notes.
The hearing continues today
