GOLD Coast bikie Shane Ross was saved by renowned brain surgeon Charlie Teo — only to be murdered by a mystery gunman just over a year later.
Teo’s life-saving surgery was revealed today at Ross’s funeral, where hundreds turned out to farewell the Comanchero bikie gang member and Monstr Clothing label founder.
Police announce re-enactment of murder of bikie Shane Ross
Police now think bikie slaying may be double murder
Dead biker Shane Ross was fighting charges that stemmed from ice kingpin Ivan Tesic’s trial
Ross, 36, and friend and business partner Cameron Martin, 47, were fatally shot during a clandestine meeting at a Tallebudgera park on October 18.
Mr Martin, who was shot in the chest, crashed his white Mercedes into a tree after apparently fleeing the scene.
Ross was shot in the head, his body found by relatives three days later.
Their killer or killers remain on the run and detectives last week admitted the investigation had “stalled to a degree” as they re-enacted the crime in a bid for public assistance.
Police attended today’s funeral at Southport Church of Christ but kept a low profile.
Some mourners wore special ‘RIP Rossy and Cameron’ Monstr shirts but there was no sign of Ross’s Comanchero links on display.
The heavily tattooed Glitter Strip identity was eulogised as a larger-than-life larrikin who loved a Corona, a party, a punt and pimped-up cars but was also a devoted family man who doted on his wife Alex and three young daughters.
Pastor Gary Swenson told the service it was a ‘tough day’ as Ross’s family and friends grappled with his ‘sudden, tragic loss’.
Mr Swenson said Ross was a colourful character who ‘wasn’t afraid to colour outside the lines’.
“Shane is what we could call in Aussie vernacular, a larrikin,” he said.
“He lived life-full on. He loved a party, he loved a beer or 25, particularly a Corona.
“He was the life of the party, he was the last to go home.”
Ross’s “out there” personality was reflected by his love of Nike TN shoes and polar white veneers that were so bright “you needed sunglasses if you got too close”, Mr Swenson said.
But he said for all of Ross’s flamboyance, he was not a shallow person, and was hardworking, entrepreneurial and dedicated to family and friends.
Mr Swenson revealed that Dr Teo operated on Ross to remove a brain tumour in September last year, but his fightback took a hit when his mother died recently.
His father Les told mourners Ross was his best mate who would now be with his mother, protecting her.
Through tears, one of Ross’s daughters, Acacia, said he was “the best dad in the whole wide world” who had picked her up from dance and “given me everything”.
Alex Ross said her husband was her soulmate and best friend who was adored by everyone.
“Everything about you was ridiculous, from the shade of your teeth to how quickly you could drink a beer…” she said.
“You were a dickhead, but you were the best kind of dickhead there was, and you were mine for what I hoped would be forever.”
The wake was being held at the Pimpama Tavern where Ross and Mr Martin had their last beers just two hours before they were killed.
Add your comment to this story
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout
Billion-dollar crypto slave scam exposed
Fake crypto platforms are being used to scam ordinary people out of thousands of dollars - all with the use of helpless slaves.
Ex-cop’s shock at what he found behind the razor wire of maximum security
Former cop Gary Jubelin used to lock prisoners up and never thought about them again as he moved on to the next case. Now he has been granted full access to a maximum security jail and what he found shocked him.