Bikie charges dropped against Kevin Howard Dew, co-accused’s continue
Eighteen months of court fees racked up by a man falsely accused of hanging out with bikies have been dropped. Now you have to foot the bill.
North & North East
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Thousands of dollars were wasted chasing the failed conviction of a man who was wrongly alleged to have consorted with bikies after the police’s case against him fell in a heap.
The Elizabeth Magistrates Court last week heard the entire case against Kevin Howard Dew would be withdrawn, with police footing the bill for his legal fees.
Magistrate Ben Sale was told by James Caldicott a charge of being present with two or more criminal organisation participants laid against the 59-year-old Craigmore man would no longer be proceeding.
According to court documents, those charges stemmed from an encounter between Mr Dew and three others at Gawler in April last year.
A police prosecutor agreed, and then told the court Mr Dew would be seeking costs associated with the failed charges.
The court heard those costs totalled $8000, plus GST.
“The prosecution seeks leave to tender no evidence in relation to this matter, or withdraw it as the case may be,” the prosecutor said.
“There will be an application for costs (which are) $8000 plus GST.”
James Caldicott works as part of the law firm Caldicott & Isaacs, one of the premium criminal law firms in South Australia.
The managing partner of the firm, Craig Caldicott, is one of the top defence lawyers in the state and is SA Law Society criminal law committee co-chairman.
According to court documents, Mr Dew was charged alongside 20-year-old North Adelaide man Jonty Lee Stengewis, 28-year-old Andre Robert Rowe, of Salisbury North, and 38-year-old Tasmanian man Jarrett Kapper.
The head of the former of the quartet, Mr Kapper, is covered in bold tattoos including the acronym “FTP” which commonly stands for “f*** the police”.
A tattoo on his top lip reads “merder”.
Mr Rowe, who is remanded in custody, will face court in January on the charge, for submissions and sentence.
According to court documents, Mr Stengewis and Mr Kapper have no entered pleas on the charge and face a “warrant of apprehension”.
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