Timothy Lamont sentenced for concealing information about Shane De Britt shooting

There was tension between rival gangs in NSW’s Central West before a prominent local bikie boss was killed, a court has heard. The details can now be revealed as five men were found guilty of his murder.

Shane De Britt was killed at his home in NSW’s Central West in January 2020.

Two rival gangs in NSW’s Central West were allegedly warring over a tattoo parlour and gang regalia before a Bandidos bikie boss was killed in his bed, a court has heard.

Bandidos Central West chapter president Shane De Britt, 60, was fatally shot as he lay in bed at his farmhouse in Eurimbla – an hour south of Dubbo – in January 2020.

Brendan James Russell McLachlan, Phillip Brian Woods, Brenton James Hayes, Jace William Harding and Brian Anthony Farnsworth were found guilty of murder by a jury late last year.

The details of what police alleged was a bitter, ongoing war between rival gangs can now be revealed as the 2022 sentence proceedings of co-offender and Wellington farm worker Timothy Lamont are no longer covered by court orders made ahead of the joint murder trial.

Police said acute tensions provoked the Bandidos’ rivals – a gang called the Grudge Bringers – to concoct a scheme to murder De Britt.

Shane De Britt.

Lamont, 28, pleaded guilty to concealing an indictable offence after he was made aware of extensive information surrounding De Britt’s murder, but failed to tell police.

In his sentencing at Sydney District Court on October 17 2022, Judge Sharon Harris read a brief summary of the circumstances.

“From April 25, 2020, he knew that the (unnamed accused) had murdered the victim and he failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” Judge Harris said.

“The information was, that (two accused males) and other Grudge Bringers were involved in the murder, that he died by being shot, that (two accused males) were present during the murder, a number of the accused were carrying loaded firearms, and that a firearm was used.”

McLachlan, Hayes, Woods, Harding and Farnsworth are currently facing their own sentence proceedings before Justice Dina Yehia in the NSW Supreme Court in relation to the murder.

Shane De Britt.

In her summary, Judge Harris said police had alleged the Grudge Bringers and the Bandidos were involved in a series of escalating conflicts surrounding a tattoo parlour and gang regalia.

“The Grudge Bearers had banned Bandidos from (a tattoo parlour) after a member wore his colours to the tattoo parlour,” Judge Harris said.

“In response, some Bandidos members demanded Grudge Bringers surrender their patches on threat of violence.”

It was this threat to confiscate the Grudge Bringers’ patches – as a group with all the features of an outlaw motorcycle gang, including colours and regalia – that police will allege provoked the agreement to murder De Britt.

Lamont – an associate of one of the accused, but not a Grudge Bringer himself – became aware of the alleged murder as those said to be involved began planning how to recover and conceal the weapons alleged to have been involved.

Shane De Britt.

On April 25 2020, Lamont attended a museum in Orange with a man alleged to have supplied the guns used in De Britt’s alleged murder in efforts to retrieve the weapons, which had not been returned.

“He wanted them back as he said he had a problem in Wellington involving a drug dispute,” Judge Harris said.

Subsequent recordings capture Lamont discussing with three accused people how to clean paint off the returned guns, hide them, and adjust the firing pins in efforts to conceal any connection to the alleged murder if they were ever discovered by police.

Lamont further pleaded guilty to three counts of using an unauthorised firearm and one of unauthorised firearm possession at a property in Stuart Town, 40km south of Wellington, on August 2 2020.

Judge Harris said Lamont handled four firearms and fired three of them at the rural residential property while he was in the company of three unnamed people.

Shane De Britt

“The serious indictable offence in this case was (allegedly) a murder committed by an outlaw motorcycle gang, who were by and large living in their self-styled lawless community in a regional area occupied by law-abiding citizens,” Judge Harris said.

“This offender existed on the periphery of this anarchy and by virtue of his close association with the (alleged) perpetrators, knowingly withheld information for nine months that may have been of material assistance.”

Lamont has been in custody since his arrest and Judge Harris noted he had incurred infractions in prison including intimidation, damaging or destroying property, possessing or consuming or manufacturing alcohol, and sending an unauthorised letter or parcel.

Judge Harris convicted Lamont of all five offences and sentenced him to an aggregate prison term of three years with a two-year non-parole period.

He was eligible for release in January 2023.