Rebels bikie sergeant-at-arms charged over Clint Starkey murder
A REBELS sergeant-at-arms will face court today charged with the murder of Clint Starkey, who was allegedly lured to a petrol station just north of Sydney and brutally beaten over a falling out with a bikie’s girlfriend.
NSW
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A REBELS bikie sergeant-at-arms will face court today charged with the bashing murder of a man at a petrol station just north of Sydney.
Homicide detectives charged Adam Symons, 36, late yesterday afternoon with the murder of Clint David Starkey, who died two months after he was brutally beaten at the Peats Ridge Caltex Service station on April 6 this year.
Police will allege Starkey had a falling out with the girlfriend of a rising member of the Rebels and was lured to the service station by a friend
The victim’s so-called friend then allegedly helped clean up the crime scene before dropping Starkey at Gosford Hospital.
Symons — who runs the Peninsula Chapter of the gang on the state’s Central Coast — is expected to appear before Gosford Local Court today charged with one count of murder.
Starkey’s injuries were so severe, emergency staff initially thought he had been bludgeoned by an axe.
The 42-year-old was flown to Royal North Shore in a critical condition but later died on June 12 as a result of his injuries.
Earlier yesterday morning, dozens of police conducted dawn raids of four properties at Woy Woy and across the Central Coast.
Symons was arrested during the raids and is currently assisting detectives from Strike Force Bartondale, established to investigate the murder.
Police also released CCTV footage this morning of at least two of the men detectives believe could also assist them with information regarding the vicious assault.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said police from the Homicide Squad, Strike Force Bartondale, the Raptor Gangs Squad and the Public Order Riot Squad raided four properties at 6am “looking for items related to this particular matter”.
“This was a particularly violent offence, a man was bashed to death,” he said.
“We know four people were directly involved in it, we know others were involved in the planning and organisation of it, people were involved in the cleaning up of the crime scene and taking the victim to the hospital.”
He urged people to come forward and warned that “if police have spoken to you about this” previously, then they could be charged with a criminal offence if it turned out they were concealing more than they initially let on.
Chief Insp Jubelin would not be drawn on a motive other than a “dispute” between Rebels members and Starkey.
However, the Express Advocate can reveal police believe the alleged “hit” was orchestrated by a rising member of the Rebels after Starkey had a falling out with the man’s girlfriend.
Police will allege Starkey’s friend was contacted to drive him to the service station where two men were waiting.
At least another two men turned up in a separate vehicle moments before Starkey was bashed and had his head stomped on.
The next day police raided his friend’s Mangrove Mountain property where they allegedly found a Winchester rifle and a Savage-branded .22 calibre rifle, a prohibited weapon and ammunition.
The 40-year-old was arrested at the scene and taken to Gosford Police Station, where he was charged with concealing a serious offence, two counts of possessing prohibited firearms and one count each of possessing a weapon and ammunition.
He remains before the courts.
Chief Insp Jubelin said even though the CCTV footage released today was not the clearest of pictures.
“I think if you knew the person that you would clearly be able to identify them,” he said.
“I’m sure there are people out there who know exactly who these people are in the footage.
“If I was the person in those images I would be pretty worried because it’s clear people will be able to identify them.”