Supreme Court revokes bail for bikie with ’bad criminal record’ Matthew Kokotis
Bikie figure Matthew Kokotis is behind bars again after threatening to shoot a man in front of his three-year-old son.
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One of the state’s most violent bikie figures is again behind bars after the Supreme Court revoked his bail.
Matthew Kokotis has been charged with aggravated threatening life following an incident in which he allegedly menaced a man with a baseball bat and a semiautomatic pistol in front of a young child.
Kokotis, 43, was a prominent Hells Angels member until recently and is now suspected of involvement with the rival Comanchero gang.
He was a key player in the bloody war between the Hells Angels and Finks, and is a suspect in an incident in which then Fink sergeant-at-arms Mark Sandery’s 11-year-old son was shot twice in the leg during a home invasion in 2011.
Kokotis was arrested last month following an incident at Reynella.
He appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on October 16 and was granted bail.
But the Director of Public Prosecutions lodged a bail review application in the Supreme Court.
In a lengthy hearing, DPP prosecutor Tania Stevens detailed the incident – captured on video by a neighbour – and Kokotis’ lengthy offending history.
“We are opposed to his release on any sort of bail due to the seriousness of the allegations, the need to ensure the safety of the community and the history of firearms offending and noncompliance with the court-imposed orders,’’ she said.
“As Your Honour would be aware from the footage, this was brazen offending committed in a suburban street.”
She said the case was circumstantial and involved the identification of Kokotis as the offender, as the video footage was not clear. Mobile phone tracking and other evidence, such as the recovery of baseball bats at his home, would also be used to prove the case.
Ms Stevens said the incident involved a woman, Jessica Naulty, who had been in a relationship with Kokotis.
During the confrontation, police allege Kokotis could be heard demanding a bag from a man sitting in a vehicle, Dylan Danaher. A young boy was also in the vehicle. “When the respondent does not receive the bag, he returns to the white vehicle he arrived in, puts the baseball bat down, puts on a black glove and can be heard saying: ‘I’m going to shoot him now’,’’ Ms Stevens said.
She said after putting on the glove, Kokotis retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and pointed it at Danaher's face.
Ms Stevens said Kokotis was on parole at the time, was subject to a firearms prohibition order, had prior offending involving violence, firearms and drug offences and four convictions for breaching bail.
Kokotis’ barrister, Adam Kimber SC, said despite the video, his client would be pleading not guilty.
“It is a circumstantial case, you can demolish it bit by bit, but ultimately you have to look at the entirety of the evidence … it is ultimately an identification case,’’ he said.
In revoking bail, Justice David Peek said the offence Kokotis had been charged with was “particularly grave’’ and there was a “strong circumstantial case’’ the person in the video footage was Kokotis.
Kokotis will next appear in court in January. A second man also charged over the incident, Stylianos Orfanidis, has been released on bail.