‘Comanchero’ Matthew Kevin Mackay charged with armed robbery, deprivation of liberty

A baby-faced accused Comanchero is fighting for bail – with his dad offering $100k surety to secure his release – after his vanishing act ended in a swift arrest and armed robbery charge. Another accused bikie is also alleged to be involved.

Matthew Kevin Mackay was arrested on Friday after going missing for two months and applied for bail on Saturday.

Accused Comanchero bikie Matthew Kevin Mackay has applied for bail after police swooped on Friday, charging him with armed robbery as a gang member and deprivation of liberty.

In Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday morning, prosecutor Harry Coburn told Magistrate Cameron McKenzie that police had picked up Mackay yesterday on a warrant alleging he failed to appear in court on other minor charges.

Baby-faced bikie Matthew Kevin Mackay is fighting for bail after being arrested on Friday.

Mr Coburn told the court that the armed robbery and deprivation of liberty charges related to events in mid-March but police did not charge him then because they could not find Mackay.

Mackay’s co-accused is alleged Comanchero enforcer Joshua John Lucey, from Woolloongabba, Mackay’s lawyer Corey Cullen told the court.

Mackay’s co-accused Joshua John Lucey.

Mr Cullen submitted that the 34-year-old lives in New Farm, in Brisbane’s inner city, and is the father of a two-year-old girl and wants to be freed on bail.

Mackay’s father David, who owns a tip-truck company, had offered $100,000 surety to secure his son’s release.

“I accept allegations against my client are serious in nature,” Mr Cullen told Mr McKenzie.

Matthew Kevin Mackay is charged with armed robbery as a gang member and deprivation of liberty.

Mr Cullen said that prosecutors should have provided a sworn statement from the alleged victim of the kidnapping and armed robbery, to back up their claims in objecting to his bail.

“We haven’t been provided with a statement from the complainant, so we are in a position where my client strongly contests the allegations and has provided a version (of events) but it will some time before we are provided with a brief of evidence and the evidence can be tested,” Mr Cullen told the court.

Mr Cullen said police could have also obtained statements from two other witnesses mentioned in the police statement of facts and objection to bail, but had failed to do so.

Matthew Kevin Mackay.

Mr McKenzie adjourned the bail application until 2pm on Monday in Beenleigh Magistrates Court to give police time to find or obtain witness statements.

“You do place great weight on no statements,” Mr McKenzie said.

Mackay is facing four charges in total, including entering premises with intent and contravening a direction from a police officer.

Mr Cullen submitted that the failure to appear charge, on which the arrest warrant was based, was due to miscommunication with Mackay’s former lawyer in relation to the court appearance.

The armed robbery charge is as part of a gang, which is an aggravating factor and attracts a tougher sentence.