Fifteen alleged Hells Angels bikies appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court charged over ride across Adelaide

Fifteen alleged Hells Angels have appeared in court in one day, charged over a ride the group took in January – sparking a heavy police presence.

A large group of alleged Hells Angels bikies charged over a joy ride have appeared in court, prompting a heavy police presence in Adelaide’s CBD.

Shaun Blake Brand, Arron James Cluse, Peter Robert Michael Costello, Jake Andre Diesing, Sean Etherington, Graham Leslie Falconer, Robert Alexander Hickey, Bradley Horlor, Harley Ray Moore, Terry Ian Polley, Scott Michael Kristian Smith, John Peter Lord Stacy, Peter Keith Stacy, Jadon Leonard John Tree and Nigel Woodard appeared at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police say each is a member of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang and all are charged with being present with two or more criminal organisation participants on January 2.

It is alleged the group rode together from Cherry Gardens and through metropolitan Adelaide before dispersing at Pasadena.

Police outside Adelaide Magistrates Court for the appearance of the Hells Angels.

They were charged on January 12 after detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch searched sixteen houses.

The group’s appearance sparked a high level of police activity outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court with more than ten specialist STAR Group officers and detectives outside court during the duration of the hearing.

Defence counsel for Mr Smith and Mr Hickey applied for a bail variation on behalf of her clients to attend a Hells Angels meeting in Canberra later this month.

A prosecutor told the court she was opposed to the application given the nature of the meeting.

“The information received from SAPOL, from the AFP, is that there is a national meeting of officers in Canberra for the Hells Angels on the 27th of April,” she said.

“Given that both of these defendants are currently before the court and seeking variation for bail that relates to charges specifically related to OMCG offending, prosecution is of the view it’s inappropriate to vary the bail to enable them to essentially engage in activities with other OMCG members.

“To permit these defendants to vary their bail, to essentially congregate in another state, in my view your Honour, sends a poor message.”

Defence counsel said there was no reason for the application to be refused providing it was not a crime in the Australian Capital Territory for outlaw motorcycle gang members to congregate.

“It’s not an offence in the ACT to be a Hells Angel,” she said.

Magistrate Oliver Koehn refused the application saying it would be inappropriate to approve it.

“In order to grant the application, would be to suggest the defendants should be free to engage in the activity in South Australia,” he said.

Mr Diesing also asked for a variation to his bail to permit him to travel to Brisbane, which was not opposed by prosecution, and was granted by Mr Koehn.

Peter Stacy also applied for a variation to his current bail to travel between South Australia and Victoria for work purposes. The application was granted.

Mr Tree was also granted a bail variation to travel to Perth for a holiday with his partner.

Prosecution requested a six-week adjournment in order to go through footage and police statements.

The group will next appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court next month.

Originally published as Fifteen alleged Hells Angels bikies appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court charged over ride across Adelaide