Operation Ironside: Pauly Harris charged over plot to murder bikie gang member who owed $300K drug debt

An Adelaide bikie gang allegedly “contemplated” harming or killing one of their own members who owed a $300,000 drug debt several times over a year, a court has heard.

An Adelaide bikie gang allegedly made multiple failed or abandoned attempts to harm or murder one of their members who owed a $300,000 drug debt over a year, a court has heard.

During a Supreme Court bail hearing for Pauly Leonard Harris, who is charged with conspiracy to murder and participating in a criminal organisation over an alleged plot in mid 2021, the court heard members of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang discussed harming the target multiple times.

Mr Harris, 27, was allegedly recruited, along with another accused, to shoot the alleged target. The alleged plot was revealed as part of the Operation Ironside police sting.

A prosecutor told the court the alleged target – who no longer lived at the Rosslyn Park address of the proposed murder plot – owed a drug debt to a senior member of the gang “in the order of about $300,000”.

“Throughout 2020 several plans were made and contemplated … to carry out premeditated acts of retribution against (the target) and make an example of him at the club in respect of that drug debt,” she said.

The court heard members of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang discussed harming the target multiple times. Picture: File

She said that “after about a year’s worth of either failed or abandoned attempts” to harm the victim, the role of the senior gang member was being “questioned by other club members”.

“The fact that he had not dealt with (the target) was a perceived weakness,” the prosecutor said.

“As a consequence he thought that his position in the club was being threatened and there was mounting significant amount of friction in the leadership of the club.”

The prosecutor said there were three alleged attempts to murder the target on May 23 and 27 and June 6 last year, but each attempt was thwarted by police intervention.

The prosecutor said Mr Harris was allegedly on May 23 in a stolen Holden Rodeo which had been collected from Seaton and driven to an eastern suburbs house where a .32 pistol was allegedly retrieved before the car travelled to the target house.

She said the men in the car spent three hours outside “acting suspiciously” and appearing “very interested” in the target address and were “very wary of passing vehicles”.

She said the men entered the front yard and approached the front door but fled after a marked police car drove past.

The court heard the men abandoned the stolen Holden which contained their belongings “in a state of panic” and was later found to have their DNA on the steering wheel. They were captured on CCTV in a taxi leaving the area.

Opposing bail, the prosecutor said Mr Harris had a “significant” criminal history including multiple breaches of bail and parole and posed a risk to the community if released on bail.

Taylor Johanson, for Mr Harris, said Mr Harris’ alleged involvement amounted only to him being in a stolen vehicle found near the alleged target’s address at Rosslyn Park but was “at no time seen with a weapon”.

“The prosecution case, at its highest, has him in a location near to the victim,” she said.

She said he was not a member, associate, affiliated or in any way connected to the Comancheros and did not have an AN0M device like many of his co-accused.

She asked he be bailed to his brother’s home.

Justice Laura Stein said Mr Harris appeared to be a “poor candidate” given his prior bail breaches and expressed concerns about residing with his brother who also had a criminal history.

She ordered a home detention bail inquiry report and adjourned the matter to Thursday.

Originally published as Operation Ironside: Pauly Harris charged over plot to murder bikie gang member who owed $300K drug debt