Tyrone Taipari, Vanessa Bennett and Finks bikie Anthony Wells charged with drug trafficking at South Brighton

A tradie wanting to hire a limo for his birthday was in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ when he met his bikie friend and a woman in a carport where two ounces of meth was found.

A father with a shocking criminal history said he was simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time” after a bikie sting led police to a “significant” amount of meth.

Tyrone Issac Pappahori Taipari, 33, applied for home detention bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, denying knowledge of the drugs found in the carport.

Vanessa Louise Bennett, 41, and Anthony Wittana Edward Wells, 44, who is a member of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, did not apply for bail and were remanded in custody.

SA Police raided a South Brighton property just after 2pm on Wednesday where they discovered two ounces of a substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Mr Wells, of Seaford Rise, was arrested on a parole board warrant and charged with drug trafficking.

Anthony Wells. Photo: Facebook

Ms Bennett, of Golden Grove, is charged with breaching her home detention bail, drug trafficking, possessing a dangerous article and unlawful possession of property, while Mr Taipari, of Inman Valley, is charged with drug trafficking.

Vanessa Bennett. Photo: Facebook

Tyrone Taipari. Photo: Facebook

A police prosecutor said they were opposed to all forms of bail, due to Mr Taipari’s extensive criminal history, which amounted to 110 offences between 2003 and 2022.

“There’s a significant amount of methamphetamine involved in this matter,” the prosecutor said.

“He has associations with OMCG groups.”

Indianna Davis, for Mr Taipari, told the court the methamphetamine was found in a bag in a carport where Mr Taipari had been standing with his two co-accused.

“One of those co-accused (Mr Wells) has said to police ‘that’s my methamphetamine, the other two have absolutely nothing to do with it’,” she said.
Ms Davis said Mr Taipari only attended at the address to look at a limousine in the carport.

“It’s his birthday (today) … he said that he’s thinking of arranging essentially a party bus type experience where they rent the vehicle and attend various clubs,” she said.

“He said he was 100 per cent in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Ms Davis applied for simple bail for Taipari, saying it was a “weak” case against him and he was working full time as a concreter and had a young daughter.

Magistrate Stefan Metanomski said he would only consider home detention bail, due to Mr Taipari’s history.

He ordered a home detention report and the application was adjourned until next week.