Alleged bikie Bradley Michael Banks pleads guilty to bail breaches
Details have emerged about the arrest of an alleged Finks bikie at a northern suburbs servo as he pleads guilty to a string of unrelated breach of bail charges.
North & North East
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While facing five breaches of bail for “dirty urine” and on bail for other alleged offending, a suspected Finks bikie was arrested with a semiautomatic Glock in his car.
Bradley Michael Banks, 26, on Thursday pleaded guilty to those five breaches of bail, and another charge of driving while disqualified in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, where he appeared by video-link from prison.
As the alleged Finks bikie was read out the charges, and answered pleas of “guilty” dutifully, Magistrate Mark Semmens stopped mid-sentence upon learning a sixth breach of bail charge involved the alleged possession of the gun.
“I don’t want you saying anything on the screen right now, at all,” Mr Semmens said.
“You need to speak to (your lawyer) about that.”
The court heard that breach related to an arrest on Banks on November 17 at Para Hills West On The Run on Main North Road.
The police prosecutor told the court Banks was arrested while walking into the service station before his Holden Commodore was searched.
In the car, the prosecutor alleged, was what “appeared to be” a semiautomatic Glock pistol as well as $8000 cash and 10 grams of methamphetamine.
At that time, Banks, from Para Hills, was arrested and charged with trafficking in a controlled drug, possessing a firearm without a licence and breach of bail.
Banks, who runs a northern suburbs crash repair shop he inherited from his father, has been in prison on remand since then.
Prior to that, the court heard, Banks had “no real record (of coming) before the court at all”.
On Thursday, the court heard Banks had entered into a bail agreement in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court earlier this year on an outlaw motorcycle gang related charge of being present with two or more people of a criminal organisation.
David Hall, for Banks, said in pleading guilty to the five breaches of bail related to “dirty urine” tests, his client had commenced a process of “growing up”.
“He’s been through a pretty significant and traumatic experience and he’s a young man who needs to grow up a bit, basically,” he said.
“He was a bit immature and as a result he’s made some bad decisions in the last 18 months, but I think he’s starting to focus.
“I think what he’s been through has been salutary, and I think he’s going to learn a few things and he’s better for it.”
The court heard the five breaches of bail Banks pleaded guilty to happened in the space of three months earlier this year, and he had driven with a disqualified licence on September 5 – his licence disqualified just a month before.
Mr Semmens convicted Banks and sentenced him to two weeks’ jail for the driving disqualified charge, but no further time for the breaches.
No pleas have been entered to the sixth breach, trafficking in a controlled drug or possessing a firearm without a licence charges.
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