Helensvale gym bikie brawl: Seven men sentenced after planning group bashing of lone Rebel
One of seven men - including a bikie trio and Gold Coast gym owner who planned a rival’s bashing for allegedly refusing to give back a woman’s car - says “not all heroes wear capes”.
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One of seven men - including three bikies and Gold Coast gym owner who planned a rival’s bashing for allegedly refusing to return a woman’s car - says “not all heroes wear capes”.
Tama David Lewis, one of the seven who admitted common assault, alleged to the Bulletin outside court: “(She) went to the police, police did nothing,” he claimed.
“So Batman f-----g come to the rescue. Not all heroes wear capes.”
His comments came moments after he appeared for sentence in Southport District Court alongside Harley Joe Barbaro, Matthew Stephen Hutchins, Sonny Brandon Jenkins, Luke Dillon Tobin, Trent Nathan Young, and Samuel Joseph Richard Pearce.
Tobin also faced a charge of contravening a police direction after he refused to give police his phone passcode.
The men had all pleaded guilty to their charges on January 22 when Southport District Court heard Barbaro had told a co-accused their victim was “giving bikies a bad look” setting in motion plans for an orchestrated bashing in Helenvale’s Iron Asylum gym carpark.
Before the men learned their fate, Judge Jodie Wooldridge relayed all the details of how the seven cornered Dale Moore - a Rebels or ex-Rebels gang member - in the gym carpark on February 28, 2022, and why the group bashed him in broad daylight, in full view of CCTV cameras.
An unsettled score
In February 2022, the court heard Pearce, the owner of Iron Asylum, became aware of a problem involving one of his female staffers and gym goer Dale Moore.
The female employee had helped Mr Moore with rent, paying his phone bill and had even taken a car loan out in her name so that he would have access to a vehicle.
But when Mr Moore stopped paying the woman back as expected, she turned to Pearce for help, the court heard.
The court heard Mr Moore threatened to shoot the woman, and threatened to burn down the gym. No charges have been laid against Mr Moore.
To contain the crisis, Pearce organised a meeting with an associate at a cafe, who said he would bring his good friend, Mongols bikie Harley Barbaro, the court heard.
The Snapchat group chat: ‘We’ll surprise him Monday’
After the meeting, Barbaro sent a message to a group chat with 13 members, including Lewis, Jenkins, and Young.
Via Snapchat, members of the group and Mr Pearce refined their plan to confront Mr Moore.
“Sam Pearce might be having issues with that Rebel at his gym. Sam said he’ll have all the cameras off if you want to smash him on (Monday),” a message from Barbaro read, the court heard.
“So we’ll surprise him Monday, we’ll take his Range Rover.”
‘Me, Lukey and Sonny will rock it’
By February 28, 2022, Barbaro had enlisted fellow Mongols, Jenkins and Lewis, and career criminals Hutchins, Tobin, and Young, to show up to Pearce’s gym to confront Mr Moore.
Mr Moore arrived at 2.10pm. The female employee spoke with him, and told him Pearce wanted to speak with him.
Mr Moore texted Pearce that he would wait at the gym for him.
By 2.23pm, Barbaro knew Mr Moore was there.
Six minutes later, Barbaro, in a car with Young, Jenkins, Hutchins, and Tobin, pulled up beside a car Mr Pearce was already waiting in at Helensvale Westfield.
At 2.36pm, Barbaro sent another message to the group chat.
“Me, Lukey, and Sonny will rock it together,” he wrote.
At 2.40pm, the men all arrived at Iron Asylum, where Lewis was waiting in a parked car.
The court heard the primary assailants were Barbaro, Jenkins, Tobin, and Hutchins, connecting punch after punch to Moore’s head and torso.
Judge Woolridge told the guilty seven in court: “The offending is serious. This was a group attack, somewhat protracted in nature. It was a brazen attack in a public place in daylight.”
Sentences
Harley Joe Barbaro
With a lengthy history of serious offending, and reputation as one of the Gold Coast’s most notorious bikies, Barbaro received an 18-month sentence of imprisonment. But with a promise to the court he was set on changing his ways, Barbaro was granted an immediate parole release date. Judge Wooldridge told the court she did not see fit to return Barbaro to custody, given the impact it may have on his rehabilitation so far. Barbaro had spent some time in custody since the assault, of which Judge Wooldridge declared 165 days as time served. Barbaro will spend the next 18 months less the 165 days time served, on parole. A conviction was recorded.
Matthew Stephen Hutchins
Hutchins was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, wholly suspended for two and a half years. He had spent 512 days in custody since the offence, though none was declarable. Judge Wooldridge said on the principle of totality, a wholly suspended sentence for this offence was sufficient. A conviction was recorded.
Tama David Lewis
Lewis was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, wholly suspended for 18 months. Lewis had spent 178 days in custody since the offence, of which Judge Wooldridge declared 104 as pre-sentence custody, but not as time served. A conviction was recorded.
Sonny Brandon Jenkins
Jenkins was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, to be wholly suspended for five years. In the time since the assault, Jenkins had spent 488 days in custody, of which 195 were declarable. Judge Wooldridge declared that time as pre-sentence custody, but did not declare it as time served. A conviction was recorded.
Luke Dillon Tobin
Tobin was sentenced to six months imprisonment for both of his charges, wholly suspended for 18 months. Tobin had spent 454 days in custody since the offence, with 89 days declared as pre-sentence custody. His convictions were recorded.
Trent Nathan Young
Judge Wooldridge noted Young’s circumstances and involvement in the offending differed from the other defendants. Young was sentenced to an 18-month period of probation and a conviction was recorded.
Samuel Joseph Richard Pearce
Pearce was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, wholly suspended for two years and six months. A conviction was recorded.
Originally published as Helensvale gym bikie brawl: Seven men sentenced after planning group bashing of lone Rebel
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