Notorious Fink Shane Bowden to be farewelled in private family service

Despite speculation the funeral of notorious Finks strongman Shane Bowden would be a bikie affair, his farewell will instead be a private service held close to where his grandchildren live.

Slain bikie Shane Bowden has been quietly cremated and will be farewelled in a private family service to be held in Adelaide.

Police are continuing to investigate the execution-style murder of the notorious Finks bikie after he was ambushed in the driveway of a Gold Coast unit block during the early hours of October 12.

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Despite speculation Bowden’s funeral would be a bikie affair, The Courier-Mail can reveal the father-of-two was cremated on Tuesday. His ashes are expected to be collected by a family member this week.

Notorious bikie Shane Bowden was gunned down in his driveway in Cox St Pimpama. Picture: Facebook

Relatives will hold a private service for him in Adelaide where his grandchildren live.

Bowden, 48, was shot multiple times as he pulled into the garage of the Pimpama unit block where he’d been staying with enrolled nurse Crystal Clement. Police described Ms Clement as Bowden’s “new partner”, although he had denied this in a message to his son.

The bikie made headlines in September when he flew to Brisbane from Melbourne during the city’s coronavirus outbreak, lying on his border declaration pass.

Bowden had only been out of jail for a few months after completing a five-year stint in Victoria for a violent home invasion.

The then-Mongol was collected from the prison gates in a stretch limousine and an escort of fellow club members. But he was soon kicked out of the Mongols and 15 days after leaving jail was injured in a drive-by shooting in the Melbourne suburb of Epping.

It was while in hospital awaiting surgery for the gunshot wound to his leg that Bowden was diagnosed with coronavirus.

Queensland authorities mistakenly said he had entered Queensland while infectious but it was later found that Bowden had recovered from the virus by the time he boarded the plane.

“I was a senior member of the Mongols MC and had them supporting me with the brothers behind bars,” he told The Courier-Mail at the time.

“Things happen. I got shot and things went down from there. I am now back as a member of the Finks MC, so I will always be a biker.

Shane Bowden was killed in an execution-style murder. He recently told The Courier-Mail he had come to Queensland to recover from a badly infected gunshot wound to his leg. Picture: Richard Gosling.

“But I can tell you when I did board that plane I didn’t have COVID-19 so I didn’t put anyone at risk.”

Those closest to the Fink say he was fearful during his last days in Queensland and believed people were following him.

“He told me the reason he was going up there to the Gold Coast was because in Victoria he felt like he was still locked up in prison,” former long-term partner Trudi McPhee said.

“It was doing his head in. He loved the beach. He wanted to get back up there so he could walk along the beach. And then he was going back to Melbourne.”

Ms McPhee said Bowden – who is the father of her teenage son – had planned to go travelling with her after spending some time in Queensland.

Instead, Bowden was shot a “significant” number of times as he drove a BMW into the unit complex car park.

Detectives believe more than one assailant had lain in wait for the bikie.

“He went to the gym and I think he went and got food from a takeaway premises and when he’s come home, he’s driven into his garage and that’s when he’s been attacked,” Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said.

“He’s been executed.”

Det Supt Smith said police believed the motive related to Bowden’s actions “over the last few months” rather than it being an “intergang” feud.

Bowden was a member of the Finks terror team and was part of the infamous Royal Pines “ballroom blitz” – considered one of Australia’s worst bikie brawls.

Bowden shot and injured Hells Angel and convicted murderer Christopher Wayne Hudson during the melee.