Supreme Court overturns Matthew Kokotis’ suspended sentence for threatening couple with baseball bat and suspected firearm

A notorious figure caught on video appearing to threaten a couple with a gun in front of their young son has had his suspended sentence overturned.

A notorious bikie figure has had a suspended prison sentence for threatening a man with a baseball bat and firearm overturned by the state’s highest court.

Matthew Kokotis, a former Hells Angels associate and known underworld figure was charged initially given a suspended sentence of just under three years for the incident on October 14, 2019.

The exchange between Kokotis and his associate Stilianos Orfanidis and two other individuals was filmed by a nearby neighbour.

Both men were filmed threatening a woman who was known to Kokotis and a man after pulling up in front of their driveway, blocking their exit.

Former Hells Angle bikie Matthew Kokotis who had his suspended sentence for threatening a couple with a baseball bat and suspected firearm overturned by the Supreme Court.

The man remained in the car, as Kokotis tried to get to him.

In the back seat of the car was the three-year-old child of the woman.

One of the men was heard yelling “I want my bag, give me my f***ing bag”.

The woman tried to put herself between Kokotis and the man in the car as she said “I don’t have your bag”.

One of the men replied “I’m going to shoot you now”.

Both men walked back to their car where Kokotis slipped on a black glove and retrieved what appeared to be a large silver handgun.

The male had left the front seat of the car by the time Kokotis had armed himself with the handgun and begun ducking and weaving away from the weapon.

For a minute the two parties circled the car with the male using the vehicle as cover, despite the presence of a three-year-old child inside.

The woman was heard repeatedly saying “Matt” and begging him “don’t do this in front of my son please”.

Kokotis eventually got back into the car with Orfanidis and drove off.

Both men were arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated threatening harm, aggravated threatening life and aggravated assault.

Following negotiations between Kokotis’ barristers and the prosecution all but one charge of aggravated threatening to cause harm were dropped.

He pleaded guilty to that charge on the basis he had been acting in company and was armed with a baseball bat.

Matthew Kokotis points a firearm at a couple after threatening them with a baseball bat. Inside the car was a three-year-old child.

However, he continued to deny that he had ever used a firearm, or brandished an item with the intent of convincing the man and woman that it was a firearm.

David Edwardson QC told Judge Joana Fuller that Kokotis “has always denied he was in possession of a firearm”.

In sentencing Kokotis, Fuller said she could not be satisfied the item Kokotis used was either a real or imitation firearm.

The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the decision to suspend Kokotis’ sentence to the Supreme Court.

Last month Court of Appeal President Trish Kelly and Appeal Justices Chris Bleby and Malcolm Blue unanimously allowed the appeal and overturned the sentence.

“It is clear that the object in dispute wielded by (Kokotis) was, from a visual perspective, a large handgun,” the court said.

“The features unequivocally identify it visually as a handgun can be clearly seen when he points it horizontally (at the man).”

Kokotis’ will be resentenced by another District Court Judge. Orfanidis’ sentencing was delayed pending the appeal.