Central Coast Rebels president’s son Aaron Crane ‘panicked’ when police arrested his dad for murder
Aaron Crane, the son of the Central Coast Rebels chapter president James Crane, has pleaded guilty to hindering a murder investigation following his dad’s arrest.
Central Coast
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The “anxious” son of a bikie boss has pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation into the brutal bashing murder of Clint Starkey because he “panicked”, a court has heard.
On the eve of his hearing at Gosford Local Court on Tuesday, Aaron Crane formally pleaded guilty to one charge of hindering an investigation into a serious indictable offence.
A second back-up charge of tampering with evidence to mislead a judicial tribunal was withdrawn and dismissed.
A set of agreed facts tendered to court said police established Strike Force Bartondale to investigate the bashing murder of Mr Starkey at Peats Ridge on June 12, 2017.
As part of the investigation police detected a white Nissan Patrol driving westerly on The Ridgeway at Lisarow at 2.40pm on April 4, 2019, with James Crane driving and his son Aaron in the passenger’s seat.
Officers pulled over the vehicle.
“Police directed James Crane to exit the vehicle where he (was) cautioned and placed under arrest for murder relating to Strike Force Bartondale,” the facts read.
“At this time the accused Aaron Crane was standing beside police and was in possession of a black Apple iPhone belonging to his father.
“Police asked James Crane for his mobile phone and told him that it would be seized as an exhibit relating to the murder investigation.
“The accused removed a black Apple iPhone from his satchel and began to hand it to police before he quickly turned around and twisted the mobile phone in his hand’s force.
“The accused then with significant force threw the phone on to the road way causing severe damage to the entire handset rendering it inoperable.”
Police arrested Aaron Crane, of Springfield, and he declined to be interviewed.
“At the time of the offence the accused was well informed that his father had been arrested for murder and the mobile phone was to be seized as an exhibit,” the facts read.
Supported at court by a number of family and friends, the 25-year-old said nothing when his matter was mentioned briefly with his solicitor seeking a six-week adjournment to obtain a psychology report.
“Mr Crane suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, he is on medication,” his solicitor said.
“This was a panicked action by him in circumstances where he was shocked. His father’s vehicle was pulled over by the police and his father was arrested.”
He told the court Mr Crane would be seeking a non-custodial sentence.
A police bail determination, in which he was initially refused bail, was also tendered as part of the police charges sheets.
It alleged Mr Crane had links to the Rebels outlaw motorcycle club gang (OMCG) dating back to 2011 and his father James Crane was the president of the Rebels Central Coast club.
He was adjourned to November 28 for sentence and his bail was continued.
His father James Crane and several other men have been charged with the murder of Mr Starkey and remain before the courts. None have entered any pleas.
