Seaton man charged over alleged $180k blackmail threat to bikie, granted home detention

A Seaton restaurant owner implemented an inexplicable interest rate when he allegedly blackmailed a supposed Hells Angel bikie for almost $200,000.

A Seaton man allegedly knocked on the front door of a Hells Angels bikie chasing down a $60,000 debt – when the debt was not paid up he tripled it and stole the man’s ring, a court has heard.

In chasing the debt, police allege, 30-year-old Pasquale Lagana acted as a standover man, threatening violence and then stealing the alleged victim’s ring as partial payment.

Mr Lagana, who the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court heard was “unknown” to the criminal justice system, faces a charge of aggravated theft using force and aggravated blackmail.

The latter of those two charges carries with it, if guilty, a maximum sentence of 20 years’ prison.

Andrew Moffa, for Mr Lagana, appealed with Magistrate Paul Foley to have his client released on bail, saying the alleged victim was a member of the Hells Angels and his credibility, as a result, was shot.

A stock image of motorbikes.

A stock image of the Hells Angels logo.

“On my instructions (the alleged victim) has an extensive (criminal) record and is connected to an (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang) organisation,” he said.

“That will cut across his credibility at a later stage.

“It’s the HAs, the Hells Angels, that the alleged victim is associated with.”

Mr Moffa told the court he had pursued the apparent “extensive record” of the alleged victim from police, but they had not provided it to him.

Prosecutor Nick Fatchen interjected to provide the history to Mr Moffa, conceding the alleged victim’s singular prior conviction had come almost a decade ago for possessing prescription drugs.

The court heard the allegations against Mr Lagana had come as a result of him heading to the alleged victim’s home to chase a $60,000 debt from a “mutual acquaintance”, of which payment was refused.

After the refusal, the court heard, Mr Lagana, a spray painter and restaurant owner, allegedly left the home only to return shortly later with an unheard of interest rate having increased that debt to $180,000.

Mr Fathchen told the court the alleged victim had years previously, despite his limited criminal history, owed Mr Lagana $30,000 for a drug debt which he had borrowed money from his parents to pay.

The court heard he was told it was in his best interest to pay at that time after Mr Lagana allegedly told him “pay up because people from Sydney are coming”.

Mr Fatchen said the charges, however, related to Mr Lagana allegedly threatening to bash the man if he did not pay the new $180,000 debt and then stealing his ring.

“The allegations of blackmail with a threat of violence if the money is not forthcoming, when coupled with the aggravated robbery, we say make it a blackmail at the higher end of the scale,” he said.

“This is actually a threat of significant force.”

Mr Foley on Tuesday, after Mr Lagana had spent almost one week behind bars on remand, released him on home detention.