SENIOR police tried to broker a
peace deal between warring Hunter bikies but a truce was
outright refused.
Police claim the peace deal was
discussed in a meeting between a Strike Force Darnay
investigators and senior Nomads members after the March 16
firebombing of a motorcycle owned by Finks bikie Andrew
Chambers.
According to documents tendered
to the NSW Supreme Court, Nomads members offered Detective
Inspector George Radmore a “guarantee” there would be no more
violence towards the rival Finks until the two groups could
meet.
However, hopes for a truce were
scuttled two weeks later when police asked a senior member of
the Finks whether he would be willing to meet with the Nomads to
discuss a resolution.
“The member stated that he would
never take part in such a meeting as he would never trust them,”
Detective Inspector Radmore wrote.
He added: “The member was very
aggressive in his attitude towards the Nomads. In further
conversation with the member about how he saw an end to the
conflict, the member stated that the only was for them to be
locked up in gaol and he would never feel safe until they were,
no matter what agreements were reached, as he did not trust them
to honour the agreements.”
On the same day as that meeting,
the documents state Mr Radmore
made a phone call to Finks boss Andrew Robert Manners,
who is in jail.
According to the police
affidavit, Mr Manners wanted police to support his bail
application so he could resolve the conflict, apparently stating
he was the only Fink who could meet with the Nomads to end the
feud.
The Police Commissioner is
currently fighting in the Supreme Court for a Serious Crime
Prevention Order to be placed on five members from each of the
feuding clubs. The applications – labelled as “draconian” – and
the first of their kind brought in NSW –
are part of a major police crackdown.
The restrictions that could be
imposed on the men include not being allowed to associate with
each other, banned from pubs and clubs, banned from travelling
in any vehicle from 9pm to 6am, and restricted from using
encrypted communications like Wickr, Snapchat or WhatsApp.
They could also be restricted
from owning more than one mobile phone, and must produce their
phone and passwords to police upon request.
Mr Radmore claimed there was an
“urgent need” for the order even if a temporary truce was
reached.
“Gangs cannot choose when to
uphold the law, or on terms that suit them. By their very nature
OMCG [Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs] are outlaws, and proudly
advertise that,” he wrote.