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Accused murderer 'provoked bikie rivals'By Lauren Ahwan
August 08, 2006 03:17pm
A MAN accused of fatally shooting a Gypsy Joker had earlier provoked bikie
members by wearing a T-shirt showing his allegiance to a rival gang, a court
heard today.
Jesse Ray Penhall, 28, stood trial in the South Australian Supreme Court today
charged with the murder of Gypsy Joker bikie Steven "Fly" Hydon, at Wallaroo, on
SA's Yorke Peninsula, in May 2004.
Prosecutor Geraldine Davison said in the hours before the early morning
shooting, Mr Penhall entered a Wallaroo hotel where Gypsy Joker members were
drinking, wearing a t-shirt bearing the number 81.
She said the numbers eight and one represented the letters H and A respectively,
which in turn was "shorthand for the Hells Angels ... a rival gang to the Gypsy
Jokers".
"Jesse Penhall had gone (to the hotel) to deliberately provoke the Gypsy
Jokers," Ms Davison said.
"He was loud. He drew attention to himself at the bar.
"(He) attracted the attention of the Gypsy Jokers who were in the hotel."
Ms Davison said an altercation took place between Mr Penhall and the bikies and
Mr Penhall was chased out of the pub, and possibly assaulted.
Several hours later, Mr Penhall was driven to a park where the bikies were
camping and he shot Mr Hydon twice, Ms Davison said.
Mr Hydon died a short time later.
Mr Penhall and his co-accused Eric Mark Woodward, both of Kadina, have pleaded
not guilty to murdering Mr Hydon.
The murder charge against Mr Woodward, 28, stems from allegations he drove Mr
Penhall to the park.
Mr Woodward had also been at the hotel with Mr Penhall earlier when the
altercation occurred, Ms Davison said.
"Penhall and Woodward had determined together to commit this crime," she said.
"They had embarked upon a mission to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to one
of the bikies."
The trial is continuing.
