Bikie bailed over Lamborghini heist
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From: AAP
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August 06, 2010
A FINKS bikie charged over the armed robbery of a $400,000 Lamborghini has been bailed on the condition he stay away from the gang.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan said he was not satisfied Richard Michail's association with the Finks was "entirely innocent".
But he said strict bail conditions would
make the risk of releasing Michail
acceptable to the community.
Mr Michail, 36, and co-accused,
Matthew Ward, allegedly demanded
$50,000 from Srecko Lorbek and
threatened him with a gun at the
Lorbek Luxury Cars dealership at
Port Melbourne in May.
When their demands were not met,
they stole the Lamborghini, the
court was told. The car was later
recovered in a nearby street.
During the incident, Mr Lorbek, was
allegedly placed into a headlock and
his face was pushed into a car.
Mr Lorbek was threatened not to call
police and later threatened again to
drop charges against Mr Michail by
someone claiming to act on his
behalf.
The incident led to Mr Michail's
bail being revoked.
Justice Coghlan today bailed Mr
Michail on a $100,000 surety with a
warning that he not contact Mr
Lorbek, who "ought to be the safest
person in Victoria".
He said any such attempt would lead
to his bail being revoked.
He accepted Mr Michail needed to
care for his seriously ill wife and
needed treatment for Chrohn's
disease which had flared due to
stress.
The prosecution had opposed bail,
arguing there was an unacceptable
risk Mr Michail would reoffend.
They also aired concerns for his
victim's welfare as he had already
been threatened twice.
During an earlier hearing, Mr
Michail, a sergeant-at-arms of the
Finks in Melbourne, denied his role
involved "enforcement".
He said he was merely spokesman for
the club, which had only three
members and raised money for
charity.
"There's nothing illegal about the
Finks, it's a mateship," he said.
"It's a get-together with the boys,
that's it."
Mr Michail must report daily to
police and not associate directly or
indirectly with the Finks, his
coaccused or Mr Lorbek.
He was due to face the Melbourne
Magistrates Court next month for a
pre-trial committal hearing on
charges of armed robbery, robbery,
intentionally causing serious
injury, recklessly causing serious
injury, blackmail and theft of a
motor vehicle.
AAP