Bikie war not over: Top cop

THEY won the battle but they haven’t won the war.

That’s the message from Police Commissioner Ian Stewart in a rallying call to his troops after this week’s crushing court defeat at the hands of outlaw bikies.

Seven Bandidos motorcycle gang members charged over the infamous Gold Coast bikie brawl, which triggered Queensland’s tough anti-bikie laws, walked free from Southport Magistrates Court after they were either found not guilty or had charges dropped.

Charges against four others were downgraded to public nuisance.

Amid fears emboldened bikies would now move to reclaim the streets, and the prospect of the VLAD laws being watered down by the Palaszczuk Government, Mr Stewart has sent an email to all Queensland Police officers urging them to stay staunch.

In the email he dismissed the court defeat as a technical loss and noted that 24 bikies had previously been convicted of rioting or affray over their roles in the Broadbeach brawl.

Mr Stewart said he was “very grateful” to police who attended the brawl and brought the bikies before court.

Referring to Peter Mauric, the Bandido whose not guilty verdict triggered the collapse of the police case against fellow bikies, Mr Stewart said: “Whilst the court was satisfied

Significantly, it should be noted the court made no criticism of the police case POLICE COMMISSIONER

IAN STEWART

there were threats of violence from the OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang) members to police and to the public and that the conduct of the OMCG group … did cause people in the community to reasonably fear for their personal safety, the court was not satisfied the particular charge was made out based on a court of law.

“Significantly, it should be noted the court made no criticism of the police case,” he told officers. “The court specifically found the response of police was restrained, appropriate, lawful and within (their) training.”

Magistrate Michael Quinn, who presided over the Mauric trial, stressed in his verdict that the case had “nothing whatsoever” to do with the VLAD laws which came into force after the brawl, adding that rioting had been an offence for more than a century.

Senior police believe the prospect of the VLAD laws being watered down is a bigger worry than the court loss.

Some senior officers are also furious, believing Crown law officials bungled the case.

Police say bikies have become more visible on the streets of the Gold Coast since the Newman government’s defeat but only in groups of up to two to avoid VLAD’s anti-association laws.

Broadbeach traders refused to comment when asked if they feared the bikies could make a comeback and area councillor Paul Taylor did not respond for comment. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said bikies would take heart from their court win but would never take back the streets.

“They know they are seen as a menace in our city and they’re not welcome here,” he said.

“None of that has changed.

“You might see them with more polish and less tattoos.

They’ll wear long-sleeved shirts, maybe put a tie on and we won’t see them gathering in such prominent spots as Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.”