Senior Lone Wolf gang member refused bail after alleged shooting as police fear more violence
POLICE fear a new bikie war after Lone Wolf sergeant-at-arms Joshua Battah was charged over an alleged shooting incident on the central coast.
POLICE fear a looming bikie war after a senior Lone Wolf gang member allegedly shot up a house on the Central Coast last night.
The gang’s sergeant at arms was refused bail today in Wyong Local Court, where he appeared to answer firearms and drug charges.
Joshua Paul Battah, of St Clair, was arrested by officers from the State Crime Command’s Gang Squad at a house at Budgewoi shortly after midnight.
Police allege that Battah, 33, had opened fire on a house on Toowoon Bay Rd, Toowoon Bay, at 7.25pm last night.
No one was inside the property at the time.
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Court papers indicated officers had been keeping Battah under surveillance and had tapped his phone for some time.
However, it was the growing threat of a full-blown war between the Lone Wolf Criminal Motorcycle Gang (CMG) and the Rebels, as well as last night’s shooting, that prompted his arrest.
Battah did not apply for bail, nor enter any pleas, during his brief appearance at Wyong Local Court. And the matter was adjourned until next month.
The national sergeant at arms is facing 11 charges, including the ongoing supply of drugs at Budgewoi dating back to May and “knowingly direct activities of a criminal group”.
Charge sheets tendered to court reveal Battah was allegedly in possession of one gram of cannabis, three vials of testosterone and one vial of Trenbolone during his arrest at Budgewoi.
In total he faces the three possession charges, six counts of supplying heroin, cocaine and amphetamines on various occasions between May 8 and August 7.
He has also been charged with shooting a firearm at a dwelling “in the course of organised criminal activity” between 9am and 8pm yesterday.
The police bail determination, tendered in court, found he was an unacceptable risk because of his “personal background, circumstances and community ties”.
“The accused is the National Sergeant at Arms of the Lone Wolf criminal motorcycle gang,” the bail slip read.
“There is current evidence of a war commencing between the Lone Wolf CMG and the Rebels CMG in NSW.
“The National President of the Lone Wolf CMG is currently overseas and in his absence the accused is in control of the Lone Wolf CMG nationally.”
The bail determination also cited a strong police case.
“Police will rely upon statements from witnesses which are corroborated by electronic recordings, telephone intercepts, Blackberry email messages and physical surveillance,” it read.
Battah will reappear via video link on September 3.
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