Bikie defection sparked war on Sydney’s streets
WHEN Suvat Sarmisakliglu switched from the Bandidos to the Hells Angels in 2013 he took his entire chapter with him, triggering a turf war that ended with the murder of Tyrone Slemnik (pictured).
- Have all Queensland’s bad bikies flooded south?
- Phone stuck up killer prisoner’s bum for 12 days
- The bikie gangs of New South Wales
A MASS defection of bikies from one club to another sparked an all out war on Sydney’s streets including a murder, fire bombing and shootings, a trial has heard.
For the first time the cause of the turf war which gripped Sydney in 2013 has come to light at the trial of a senior Bandidos bikie who defected to the Hells Angels.
When Suvat Sarmisakliglu defected he took his entire chapter with him destabilising the balance of power between gangs, triggering the wave of attacks.
At the height of the war a would be gang member, Tyrone Slemnik, 37, was shot dead while guarding Sarmisakliglu’s home and a second man, Brendan Fish was injured.
The Hells Angels had been anticipating an attack and it is alleged that eight days before Sarmisakliglu had ordered potential recruits to transport a semi-automatic rifle in a taxi to his unit.
Criminal gang expert Detective Senior Sergeant Paul O’Neill told a Downing District Court trial the newly patched Hells Angels chapter suddenly out numbered their main rival the Comancheros in the eastern suburbs.
Sarmisakliglu and would be Hells Angels Ashoor Khaie are facing trial on a charge possessing a prohibited gun and two magazines of bullets.
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Crown prosecutor Michael O’Brien alleged Sarmisakliglu was having his Eastlakes unit guarded day and night by “prospect” Hells Angels when he and two recruits went to South Granville on July 1, 2013 to pick up an SKS rifle and two detachable box magazines.
Khaie and another prospect Tony Raniga, now 27, were allegedly transporting the rifle in a taxi when they were pulled over by police and arrested.
Raniga pleaded guilty to possessing the gun and was sentenced to a minimum of three years jail which he is now appealing.
Mr O’Brien said the prospects were following Sarmisakliglu’s orders when they transported the gun in the taxi with their president travelling behind them in a Mercedes.
He told the judge-alone trial that Sarmisakliglu’s need for weapons became evident eight days later when two prospects were gunned down while guarding his unit on Universal St.
Sen-Sergeant O’Neill gave evidence that Sarmisakliglu patched over from the Bandidos to the Hells Angels in 2011 bringing his entire chapter (usually made up of no less that a dozen men) with him.
He said Sarmisakliglu initially went into the Parramatta chapter but soon became president of the newly formed eastern Sydney chapter with a clubhouse at Alexandria.
When another member of the Hells Angels Sione Tafokitau patched over to the Comancheros a war broke out with a public brawl between the two gangs on Church St Parramatta on March 4 of that year.
Sen-Sergeant O’Neill said the Hells Angels did not tolerate defectors. “They have strict rules once you are a Hells Angel you can’t be a member of another motorcycle gang, I believe that caused concern about the general thumbing of the nose at the rule.”
Raniga also gave evidence via video link from prison repeatedly answering “I don’t remember” to numerous questions.
Mr O’Brien told Judge Anthony Blackmore that he wanted to cross examine Raniga on a series of police taped phone conversations he had in prison in the months after his arrest.
He alleged that in one call Raniga is allegedly told by another person: “we put money in your account.”
In another phone call Raniga said, “the boys are going to put money in there every week,” which Mr O’Brien said referred to a TAB account. But Mr O’Brien withdrew his motion to cross examine Raniga on the phone calls following an objection from the defence.
The defence case for Sarmisakliglu and Khaie is expected to open next week.
Viral bishop defends free speech against new laws
The outspoken bishop stabbed at the pulpit for his political views has panned new misinformation laws.
Near miss: Track-hopping roos saved from oncoming train
A quick-thinking rail employee saved two kangaroos when he noticed them hopping along the tracks at a Sydney station as an oncoming train approached. Watch the video.