Blair Kelly, Harley Lamotte, Dylan Griffin, Koda Tredinnick sentenced over wild Minmi pub brawl

It was a wild brawl involving bikie gang members at a Newcastle pub fundraiser but, despite leaving the venue, their need for revenge was too strong as they returned for more in front of horrified patrons.

Raptor North officers arrest one of the men involved in the pub brawl at Minmi Hotel. Picture: NSW Police

It was supposed to be a nice afternoon at a Newcastle pub, with families and children enjoying themselves at a fundraiser gathering.

Instead, a wild brawl was sparked by four men – three of which were Bandidos bikies.

A large crowd had moved to an outside marquee in the car park of the Minmi Hotel for a suicide prevention fundraiser on February 18 last year before a request to move to a different area turned ugly and a glass was thrown and smashed on the ground.

Bike gang members Blair John Kelly, who police say is sergeant-at-arms of the Newcastle chapter, Harley Paul Hendrik Lamotte, Koda Tredinnick and another man Dylan Alwyn Griffin were all charged for their involvement in the melee which lasted about a minute and a half, fuelled by alcohol and in front of about 200 shocked patrons.

The four men fronted Newcastle Local Court on Friday, with Lamotte and Kelly in custody appearing via video link and Tredinnick and Griffin appearing in person.

The court heard Lamotte was the main perpetrator involved.

Police facts detailed that Kelly became argumentative, grabbed a female employee’s arm and skolled and threw his beer glass before Lamotte and Tredinnick ran to help and assaulted patrons. Lamotte threw punches and pushed a victim to the ground.

The group were arrested by Raptor Squad officers during raids a month after the wild brawl. Picture: NSW Police

While it only lasted a short period before the group left, they returned for revenge which prompted another violent brawl.

Police facts said Tredinnick headbutted a security guard, while Lamotte coward punched one patron who fell to the ground unconscious.

The court heard while Griffin was there on both occasions, he didn’t engage in assaults or fighting other patrons.

Lamotte pleaded guilty to affray and a charge of participation in a criminal group was taken into account, while he was found guilty over a charge of knowingly displaying in public a Nazi symbol, which related to a tattoo.

Magistrate Janine Lacy sentenced him to 30 months jail with a non-parole period of one year and seven months.

Tredinnick, who pleaded guilty to affray but denied a charge of participation in a criminal group, was taken into custody in front of supporters on Friday after he was sentenced to two years jail and a non-parole period of 14 months.

He was also convicted of possessing a prescribed restricted substance but no penalty was given.

Despite a plea for him to serve an intensive corrections order (ICO) – a jail sentence in the community – Ms Lacy pointed out he had already been on a community correction order (CCO) at the time of the offence and had a long history of violent offences against his name.

Griffin, who pleaded guilty to affray, was the only one not to receive a jail sentence as he was given a two year CCO.

Kelly, who pleaded guilty to affray and had a charge of participation in a criminal group taken into account, was sentenced to three years jail with a non-parole period of 26 months.

He also had added firearm charges in relation to raids by police a month following the brawl which saw Raptor North officers swarm four homes at Cardiff, Edgeworth, Gillieston Heights and Newcastle West on March 14.

The court heard he had previously been convicted for assaults and affray and his record offered him no leniency.

Ms Lacy said the first brawl was an “unplanned” event in the presence of vulnerable people, although not in the confines of the hotel itself, but that the second brawl was “premeditated” by the group.

“People shouldn’t have to witness such behaviour,” she said.

“Alcohol fuelled violence involving young men is all too prevalent.”