Comanchero bikie Matthew Douet refused bail after alleged coward punch
Comanchero secretary Matthew Douet has been refused bail after an alleged coward punch left a 51-year-old man unconscious on the floor of a pub.
A high-ranking member of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang has been refused bail after allegedly coward punching a pubgoer who refused to buy him a beer.
South Coast chapter secretary of the Comanchero Matthew Douet faced Wollongong Local Court on July 24 after being arrested by Strike Force Raptor officers at his Shell Cove home about 8am that morning.
Strike Force Raptor South began an investigating Douet after he allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old at the Central Hotel in Shellharbour on July 21, causing him to fall off his chair and lose consciousness.
Magistrate Michael Stoddart refused Douet’s bail due to the serious nature of the charges, saying it seemed like an “unprovoked attack”.
According to police facts tendered to the court, the alleged victim arrived at the pub by himself about 4pm, with the intention of having a few beers and watching some horse racing.
Douet was already at the hotel at this time, where police say he was watching a live boxing match with a group of associates.
At the conclusion of the match, Douet entered the gaming lounge with the group, where the alleged victim had a brief conversation with one of them.
According to police facts tendered to the court, Douet’s associates walked out of the gaming lounge, leaving him alone with the 51-year-old man.
It is at this point police allege Douet asked the man if he was a member of the Fourth Reich Motorcycle Gang.
“I heard you’re in the Reich,” Douet said, according to court documents.
“Nah, mate, who told you that,” the alleged victim replied.
Douet allegedly asked the man once more if he was “in the Reich”, saying his associates had told him he was.
According to court documents, conversation took a turn when Douet allegedly told the man to “go buy me a beer”.
The alleged victim told Douet he did not have much money and could not afford to, with police alleging Douet said he “didn’t care”.
Police facts say at this point the victim became “scared and uneasy” before Douet allegedly said “let’s go to the carpark then”.
Police allege the man turned away, before Douet allegedly walked around the back of him and punched him in the head, knocking from his chair and leaving him unconscious.
Police facts say that as a result of the alleged “coward punch”, the man was left with a large laceration to his nose as well as bruising and redness to his face, which required hospital treatment.
Police facts allege Douet fled the pub immediately after the incident.
On July 23, police applied for a warrant to search Douet’s Harbour Boulevarde home.
When police arrived at the home the following morning, Douet allegedly told police he “didn’t even remember what happened, I was so drunk”.
When police asked where the clothes he had been wearing at the time of the attack were, Douet allegedly told police he had thrown the jumper in the bin and did not know where the shoes or pants were.
Police facts also stated Douet made full admissions about being a member of the Comanchero and that several items related to motorcycle gang were seized during the search.
Police arrested and charged Douet with affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and participate in criminal group before taking him to Lake Illawarra Police Station.
He will remain behind bars until he appears before the court again next month.
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