Operation Ironside: Bikies wanted ‘everything broken’ in alleged bashing plot, court told

A senior bikie allegedly said he wanted “everything broken” in a plan to lure a fellow member to be bashed, a court has heard.

A senior Comanchero bikie allegedly told his co-accused he wanted “everything broken” in messages about a plot to lure a fellow member to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre to be bashed, a court has heard.

The messages were revealed during a Supreme Court review of a Magistrate’s decision to grant Domenic Fernando Franze, 23, of Queenstown, release on home detention bail last week.

During the ongoing application, which started on Friday and continued on Monday, prosecutors said one of the four men charged sent a message to the group saying they needed to do “a good job, make a statement”.

He said another message read: “I want a massive statement … I want everything broken”.

The messages were allegedly sent on the encrypted AN0M platform which was being secretly monitored by police.

Mr Franze, and his co-accused, are each charged with conspiracy to cause serious harm.

The court has previously heard the men, all alleged Comanchero bikies or nominees, intended to lure their alleged victim unarmed to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre where he was to be assaulted, under the guise they were actually planning to bash someone else.

Prosecutors said Mr Franze “plays a pivotal role in this conspiracy in a unique way”, having created a chat group titled “Mission” including the alleged victim.

The alleged victim was not part of a separate chat grout titled “Get it done”.

“It is clear that the group, that is the real group, have formed a very clear agreement about what was going to happen and how it was going to happen and Mr Franze plays a particularly sinister role in deceiving the victim,” the prosecutor said.

“Critically … the plan has gone beyond discussion and it’s moved into the execution phase.”

The court heard the plan was abandoned after police told the alleged victim he was the intended victim.

The prosecutor said messages attributed to Mr Franze showed he “wilfully and enthusiastically” involved in the plot and had agreed not to tell anyone else.

“It’s a plan that relies heavily on Mr Franze and his deception,” the prosecutor said.

David Edwardson QC, for Mr Franze said his client and other alleged Comanchero were “all together in the same unit” in prison as they await trial.

“As I understand it even the alleged victim is in the same unit with this group, so it’s a peculiar state of affairs,” he said.

He said his client was unlikely to face trial before mid 2023, which he said was “an extraordinary” length of time in custody for a young, impressionable man.

Justice Anne Bampton ordered a home detention report for Mr Franze to live with his mother, who intends to move back to Adelaide from Brisbane to act as guarantor.

The Supreme Court is also reviewing a Magistrate’s decision to grant co-accused Goran Mazibrada, release on home detention bail but asked the matter be adjourned.

Both men return to court next week.