How the Rebels bikie gang dishes out justice to its own

THE details of the internal justice system of the Rebel bikie gang, led by president Damien Vella, have been revealed in a court case following the shooting of one of its members.

The Rebels’ bikie brand of justice

SENIOR Rebels bikie Troy Cusens knew he was in trouble when he was summoned to a Western Sydney restaurant by the club’s national president Damien Vella.

It was August 1 and Vella, known as “Big D”, was prepared to interrupt his dinner long enough only to bark one order down the phone line to ­Cusens: “Bring your colours. F…… — I’ll talk to you then”, according to documents tendered to court.

Vella became the Rebels national president after his uncle, Alex Vella, was stranded in Malta when Australian authorities cancelled his visa.

Details of the meeting between Cusens and Damien Vella were revealed in Penrith Local Court after Cusens was charged with discharging a firearm and being a member of a criminal organisation.

Cusens, the president of the gang’s Mt Druitt chapter, was charged after police alleged he ­delivered fellow Mt Druitt member Rishaad Christian to bikies from the club’s Penrith chapter on July 7 last year. They allegedly shot him three times and beat his face with a baseball bat until it broke, Penrith Local Court heard

In court, defence lawyer Leo Premutico said Cusens was not aware of the plot to shoot Christian and the evidence did not prove he was at the clubhouse when it occurred.

President of the Mount Druitt chapter of the Rebels, Troy Cusens, on his wedding day.

Rebels bikie Troy Cusens with his wife Mel on their wedding day.

The NSW criminal justice system will decide if he is guilty of having Christian shot. But the case has also given a rare insight into how Cusens also had to answer to the gang’s internal justice system led by Vella, who conducted his own investigation and concluded Cusens was guilty.

While recovering in hospital, Christian had told Vella that Cusens “set me up”, police documents tendered to court said.

Cusens, of Ropes Crossing, allegedly gave the Penrith bikies access to the Mt Druitt clubhouse on Grex Ave, Minchinbury, to launch a surprise ­attack on Christian, documents state.

Christian thought he was attending an 8pm meeting to “sort some shit out” but was shot and beaten by at least three balaclava-clad men.

One of the three Rebels arrested by Gangs Squad detectives over the assault and shooting of another member in Minchinbury.

After being called to the restaurant, a panicked Cusens called Mt Druitt Rebel Michael Conditsis and allegedly said: “I gotta go see Big D again … did you say anything? F… I just got told to … go see him with my colours,” Cusens said. “I swear to God bro… (Vella is) not talking very nice to me. He goes ‘bring your colours. F…… I’ll talk to you then’.”

Conditsis replied: “You serious? I haven’t f…… spoken to anybody man.”

At the restaurant, Damien Vella stripped Cusens of his bikie colours, which generally include patches, jackets, and T-shirts bearing the club’s ­insignia

After leaving the restaurant, ­Cusens phoned fellow Mt Druitt Rebels bikie Eldin Mujcevic and said: “They took them (my colours),” court documents state.

Cusens grumbled to Mujcevic that Vella believed Christian’s version over his. “The shit (Christian is) saying ... (Vella) believes him mate,” ­Cusens allegedly said in a call captured on a police phone tap.

The motive for the shooting is yet to be revealed, but phone intercepts from an unrelated investigation ­recorded Penrith Rebel Richard Baldacchino talking to Mujcevic at 5.25pm the day of the attack about “police seizing a vehicle Baldacchino had given to Christian in lieu of a debt”, police documents state.

During the call, Mujcevic told Baldacchino: “I’m only going to say it once … you won’t see him ­tomorrow.”

In court, Mr Premutico said the case was “weak” and “circumstantial”.

According to court documents, Cusens allegedly sent a text message to Christian the morning of the ­alleged attack telling him to attend the clubhouse that night.

Cusens sent another text to Christian saying he would be picked up by Mujcevic, who is known as “Ramz” because of his likeness to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his job as a pub chef, court documents state.

At 7.13pm, Cusens was captured on CCTV camera driving a Toyota Hilux to the clubhouse. Two minutes later five of the clubhouse’s CCTV cameras were switched off, the court heard.  

The Rebels clubhouse in Minchinbury.

Christian arrived at 8.16pm and had a silver revolver pointed to his head as he walked through the door before he heard the words “here c…”, court documents said. The voice allegedly ­belonged to Penrith Rebel Jamie Saliba, who is ­accused of shooting Christian three times in the hip and leg, court documents state.

Christian ran while three men chased him and allegedly fired two shots, both of which missed, court documents state.

Penrith Rebel Chris Rymer and Saliba allegedly punched Christian repeatedly before Rymer “broke a baseball bat over Christian’s face”. On July 8, police placed a “surveillance device” in Christian’s room at Westmead Hospital. Two days later it ­recorded Cusens allegedly telling Christian “it was going to be a meeting”, court documents said.

Cusens was refused bail and will return to court on March 20.

Mujcevic, 40, was charged with discharging a firearm with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and participating in a criminal group.

Saliba is facing the same charges and was also charged with kidnapping, assault and habitually associating with convicted criminals.

Rymer was charged with discharging a firearm with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and participating in a criminal group, kidnapping and assault.

The three are yet to enter a plea

CUSENS' PHONE CALL TO CONDITSIS

At 8.50am on July 7, 2014, Mount Druitt Rebels Chapter president Troy Cusens sent a text message to fellow chapter member Rishaad Christian.

TC: “I need u at ours at 8 4 a meeting bro”.

RC: “Yeah sweet bro”.

RC: “All good”.

TC: “Yer we just going to sort some shit out all good”.

- At 5.25pm on July 7, 2014, police on an unrelated investigation of the Penrith Rebels OMCG recorded gang member Richard Baldacchino talking to Mount Druitt Rebels treasurer Eldin Mujcevic. Baldacchino fails to comprehend what Mujcevic is telling him.

EM: “Listen to me. And listen to me — I’m only going to say it once … you won’t see him tomorrow”.

RB: “Huh”.

EM: “You won’t see him tomorrow”.

RB: “I won’t?”.

EM: “Nup”.

RB: “Hmm”.

EM: “Do what you gotta do. The time has come”.

RB: “Hey?”

EM: “The time has come”.

- At 5.59pm on August 1, 2014, Cusens calls the vice president of the Rebels Mount Druitt chapter, Michael Conditsis, before he goes to meet Vella.

MC: “What’s happening?”

TC: “Ah nothing bro. I gotta go f … ing … see Big D. I gotta go see Big D again. Have you f … ing um … Did you say anything?”

MC: “To Dean?”

TC: “Nah Big D”

MC: “Nah nah. I haven’t seen him”.

TC: “You haven’t? F … I just got told to bring my colours. To go see him with my colours”.

MC: “With your colours again”.

TC: “Yeah”.

MC: Are you serious or what?”

TC: “I swear to god bro. He just goes come f … ing, not taking very nice to me. He goes, ‘Oi, f … I’m at Bringelly. F … ing at a restaurant’. He goes ‘bring your colours. F … ing — I’ll talk to you then”.

MC: “You serious?”

TC: “I swear to god bro”

MC: “I haven’t f … ing spoke to anyone man”

TC: “Alright that’s cool. I just want to make sure that’s all”

— At 7.58pm August 1 after meeting Vella, Cusens called Mujcevic again.

MC: “Did they take them or what happened?”

TC: “They took them brother”

MC: “What for? Nah”.

TC: “Yeah”

MC: “Why?”

TC: “Shit he’s (Christian) saying … He (Vella) believes him mate”

MC: “Yeah?”

TC: “Yep”