James Paul Travers, 30, sentenced with consorting with Mongols bikies

A Cairns car detailing business owner has been fined after he continued to meet with members of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang despite warnings from police.

Police raids on Mongol outlaw motorcycle club gang members have led to the arrest of six people have been charged with 23 offences. Picture: Queensland Police Service

A Cairns car detailing business owner has been fined after he continued to meet with members of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang despite warnings from police.

James Paul Travers, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of habitually consorting with recognised offenders.

Mr Travers, who owns and runs the Elysium Auto Spa detailing business, was fined $1800 after he continued to meet with known members of the outlaw motorcycle gang despite being warned by police.

He met with three members of the Mongols a total of 17 times after being warned by police including Jesse Steven Ashworth, who is facing assault charges in Cairns Magistrates Court after a police operation targeting the group’s members and their associates.

Police raids on Mongol outlaw motorcycle club gang members have led to the arrest of six people have been charged with 23 offences. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Police prosecutor Luke Parrish submitted that although Mr Travers had no criminal history he was present at one of these meetings when there was a street fight outside of the Covergirls lounge.
Mr Travers was not involved in the fight, and the other people involved were charged.

Mr Parrish submitted Magistrate Sandra Pearson consider the aspect of community safety in her sentencing.

“The bill that was passed in 2016 had the intention to combat organised crime groups and split up the significant crimes that have been occurring around that time,” he said.

Defence counsel Shania Thomas said Mr Travers was born and raised in Cairns, and was self-employed with his own business.

She presented the court with two character references.

“It is strange that someone who is regarded in these ways wouldn't listen to the police when he was warned not to meet up with these people,” Magistrate Sandra Pearson said.

Magistrate Sandra Pearson.

Ms Thomas told the court Mr Travers met the men through a friend.

“Mr Travers was introduced to the group by a mutual friend and he began associating with them and formed friend groups within members of the group,” she said.

“Most of these were social events at cafes, and sports clubs.

“On the facts there is nothing sinister that would concede there is anything else going on and he comes to the court with no criminal history.

“He is mindful he can’t keep hanging around with these friends otherwise he will keep coming back to court.”

Ms Pearson noted the fact the warning from police had been ignored and the street fight in her sentencing remarks.

“The facts of the matter is it involves a number of meetings between yourself and members of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang in Cairns over an extended period of time after you had been warned by police,” she said.

“Perhaps at that stage (after the fight) you should have realised the warning was for good reason and you should have stayed away from those people, and you continued to see them.”

A conviction was not recorded.

Originally published as James Paul Travers, 30, sentenced with consorting with Mongols bikies