High ranking Finks bikie wants to remove tattoos, ‘turn life around’

High-ranking Finks bikie Troy Fornaciari wants to undergo surgery to remove his infamous tattoos and start his life on “a new path”, a court has heard.

Troy Fornaciari.

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High-ranking Finks bikie Troy Fornaciari wants to undergo surgery to remove his infamous tattoos and start his life on “a new path”, a court has heard.

Fornaciari appeared at Wollongong Local Court in front of Magistrate Susan McGowan on April 18, after pleading guilty to several offences, including affray, possessing an unauthorised firearm and dealing with proceeds of crime.

He has been in custody since February last year, following his dramatic arrest by Strike Force Raptor at the Finks North Wollongong clubhouse, where a loaded pistol with a silencer, ammunition and stolen ute were seized.

Troy Fornaciari was former president of the Ficks South Coast Chapter.

Fornaciari was charged with affray after allegedly bashing an bikie associate who’d just had a motorcycle accident in 2017.

Police say the Fornaciari lent his Harley Davidson to Jacob Nyrhinen, who then had an accident on the Princes Highway at Dapto.

Paramedics were still helping Nyrhinen as he lay on the road when Fornaciari arrived, lent over the injured man and started punching him in the head, enraged that his bike had been damaged.

According to court documents, one paramedic told Fornaciari: “Let’s worry about your mate’s injuries before we worry about the bike.”

Fornaciari proceeded unleash a barrage of expletives and insults, which lead to paramedics locking themselves in their ambulance and hitting the “duress” button.When police arrived, Fornaciari was “agitated” and “pacing back and forth”.

Jacob Nyrhinen.

One of the officers told Fornaciari to leave the area and he allegedly responded: “Go f**k yourself you piece of s**t.” Further insults and threats lead to a charge of resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty.

The court heard the 35-year-old father of two has taken responsibility for his actions and bikie past, and wants to turn his life in a new direction. Fornaciari’s 18-year-old son attended the court on Thursday, sitting behind his father in the dock, who turned to him and smiled on several occasions.

Ahead of sentencing, his defence lawyer Graeme Morrison argued Fornaciari’s alleged criminal behaviour was a result of anger and mental health issues and a traumatic upbringing.

“When his father died his mother couldn’t cope and put him in foster care,” Mr Morrison said. “He always thought he wasn’t wanted.”

Troy Fornaciari was arrested in February 2018 at the Finks clubhouse in North Wollongong.

Mr Morrison said his client suffered “terrible nightmares” and “chronic anxiety” and had sought psychiatric assistance for the first time in his life while in custody at Long Bay Correctional.

“The difference medication has made is quite remarkable,” he said.

Mr Morrison told the court Fornaciari had a “real desire to change his life”, including removing that tattoos that cover his face and skull, stating he was now embarrassed by the ink he was once flaunted.

“He’s reached an age where he doesn’t want to keep doing what he’s doing,” Mr Morrison said.

Fornaciari is currently in his cell at Long Bay for 23 hours per day for safety reasons, and his defence argued he was at risk of becoming institutionalised.

“Effectively he hasn’t seen sunlight for some eight months,” he said. “The cell is about the size of an average bathroom. It’s at least 100 years old. It’s not pleasant.”

While the defence argued Mr Fornaciari’s prospects for rehabilitation were “good”, Crown Prosecutor Natalie Olender said they were “low”.

“He was capable and able to impose acts of violence when things didn’t go his way,” she said.

“Your honour would be very guarded about the prospects of rehabilitation.”

Magistrate McGowan said Fornaciari’s sentence “needed careful consideration” and adjourned the case to May 2 for sentencing.