Eleven Descendants bikies arrested over alleged brawl at Blair Athol car yard

A brawl involving more than a dozen people – some of them armed – that led to the arrest of 11 members of a bikie gang was over the sale of a car on Facebook, an Adelaide court has heard.

The alleged instigator of an “ambush-style” attack at an Adelaide caryard, which led to the arrest of 11 Descendants bikies, threatened to shoot one of the victims if he called police, a court has heard.

The gang members were arrested over a brawl involving more than a dozen people – some armed with poles, knives and hammers – at the caryard on Main North Rd, Blair Athol, at 4.30pm on Tuesday.

They were charged with aggravated affray and criminal association and appeared in the Magistrates Court in Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Elizabeth on Wednesday.

The fight, in which the bikies allegedly attacked two victims, was over the sale of a car via Facebook Marketplace.

The court heard the first victim bought the car from bikie Chris Platt, 46, of Paralowie, in January, and was told there was no finance owing on the vehicle.

The victim later decided to sell the car and took it to a friend who owned the caryard. It was then discovered there was finance owing on the car and its odometer may have been tampered with.

The court heard the victim asked the seller to meet him at the caryard, which he did, and requested he either pay the outstanding money or fix the vehicle.

Platt became enraged about the situation and offered to buy back the car for $3000. The victim had paid nearly $10,000 for it, the court heard.

“(Platt) started yelling, saying ‘You f...ing c..., what are you going to do? Are you going to call the cops?’,” prosecutors said.

“Mr Platt said words to the effect of ‘If you involve the cops or anyone I will shoot you’.

“(Platt) has then punched the victim to the left eye. Immediately following this, the victim states ... approximately 10 men ran towards the yard and started punching; some were armed with various weapons, including a pole, hammer and knife.”

A screenshot from a video of the brawl.

The court heard a second victim, who was in the caryard’s office when the men arrived, was also attacked and that about 16 people were involved in the “ambush-style” assault.

“They essentially surrounded the caryard, they all approached in an ambush-style situation and took part in the assault against the victim and the workers who were present in the yard,” prosecutors said.

Platt, who was charged with aggravated cause harm with intent, threaten to cause harm and criminal association, did not apply for bail and will appear in court again in December.

A staff member at a nearby shop told The Advertiser they saw about six people running across Main North Rd, from Darlington St, just before 4.30pm.

“Then they ran straight into the caryard and then I saw a couple of cars pull up with people getting out,” said the witness, who wanted to remain anonymous.

“There ended up being a brawl with about 30 people in the caryard. A few people had poles, one guy had a machete.”

The Blair Athol car yard where the altercation happened.

It was at this point the worker, with other staff members, locked themselves in their shop and called police.

“Within 10 minutes it was all over,” the worker said.

“I just heard a lot of yelling, I don’t know what the fight was about.

“The guys that work next door (at the caryard), they’ve all been really nice, but they moved in there two to three months ago.”

It is against state law for three or more bikie gang members to be together in public.

The Descendants gang is one of the 10 Declared Criminal Organisations.

Thomas Mackie, 65, of Ingle Farm, and his son Dylan, 28, were among those to appear in court.

They were both remanded in custody until Friday afternoon, when they are expected to apply for bail on home detention.

Troy Nissan surrenders with his lawyer Craig Caldecott. Picture: 7News

A group of people was filmed leaving the car yard after Tuesday’s brawl.

The court heard the 65-year-old is a “senior member” of the Descendants.

Defence lawyer Nick Vadasz said the father-of-seven has not been involved with the law in at least 30 years and is “quite active in the community”.

“He helps out in unemployed areas within his general community,” he said.

Benjamin Boin, 39, of the northern suburbs, is expected to apply for home detention bail next Wednesday.

Magistrate Brian Malcolm Nitschke said the victim of the alleged attack has “expressed a fear of the (offenders) in a general sense”, which will be considered when the men apply for bail.

Father-of-two Nicholas Anthony Doublet, 29, of Mawson Lakes, and Matthew Aaron Pepper, 35, of Brahma Lodge, were granted bail to appear in court again in August.

Their bail conditions are that they do not enter or go within 500m of the caryard.