Ink Heaven tattoo shop firebombed, sparking fears of bikie war on Gold Coast
WAR ZONE: Ink Heaven's Brooke Murray says the damaged shop has nothing to do with outlaw bikie gangs, which police believe are responsible for the attack. Pic: Mike Batterham Source: The Courier-Mail
FEARS of a fresh bikie war on the
Gold Coast have surfaced after the firebombing of a new
tattoo shop police believe is linked to the Hells Angels.
The Ink Heaven shop at Burleigh Heads, not far from a new Hells Angels clubhouse, was set alight about 1.30am yesterday just days before its official opening.
Witnesses reported seeing two men wearing dark clothing throw a flaming projectile through a window, setting the shop on fire as residents living in flats above slept.
The tattoo shop's proclaimed owner, Brooke Murray, said the business had "nothing to do with bikies" and she had no idea who would want to firebomb it.
But a senior police source said officers were "certain the firebombing was OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang)-related".
A company search reveals Ink Heaven Pty Ltd is headed by Daniel Mills, a business partner of Hells Angels member and fellow Mermaid Waters resident Peter Sidirourgos.
Mr Sidirourgos, a convicted amphetamines manufacturer, has been the target of suspected bikie retribution. His Oxenford gym was shot up in 2011, two years after his Sydney tattoo business was peppered with bullets.
CRIME: A tattoo parlour at Burleigh Heads damaged by fire, sparking fears of a new bikie war on the Gold Coast. Picture: Greg Stolz
Mr Sidirourgos and Mr Mills are listed as co-directors of D & P Globel Pty Ltd, which was established last month about the time Ink Heaven opened.
The Courier-Mail doorknocked Mr Mills' Mermaid Waters home yesterday. A black Harley Davidson was in the garage but his mother said he was not home and she did not have a number for him.
The Hells Angels made a failed attempt to establish a Gold Coast beachhead last year with a fortified clubhouse in Lemana Lane, Burleigh Heads.
The move sparked fears of a backlash from rival gangs including the dominant Finks, who clashed with Hells Angels members at a 2006 kickboxing tournament at a luxury Gold Coast hotel, an incident dubbed "The Ballroom Blitz".
Pensioner Jean Price, who lives alone in a flat above the Ink Heaven tattoo parlour, said she was now living in fear.
"I don't normally get scared . . . but last night I was scared," she said. "I don't think this is the last of it."
CRIME: Police on the scene of an arson attack at a tattoo parlour at Burleigh Heads. Picture: Greg Stolz
Ms Price, 72, said she was woken by a "huge bang" and smoke quickly filled her flat.
She said she ran downstairs as a neighbour tried to put out the fire.
"He saw two guys running . . . into a car. He said they were dressed completely in black," Ms Price said.
"The firies arrived and evacuated us."
Ms Price said she had felt safe until the attack and those connected to the tattoo parlour were "very nice".
"I can't fault them - they're not nasty people to me," she said. "I felt protected."
CRIME: A tattoo parlour at Burleigh Heads damaged by fire, sparking fears of a new bikie war on the Gold Coast. Picture: Greg Stolz
Police said they were examining CCTV footage.
