Lone Wolf bikies involved in bloody St Marys kidnapping, court hears

Two Lone Wolf bikies who fled Australia were involved in the bloody kidnapping of an ice dealer, a court has heard.

Lone Wolf bikie associate Erkan Keskin and his wife Kirtsen leave the Downing Centre Local Court in 2018. Picture: AAP

Two Lone Wolf bikie associates who fled Australia for Turkey were allegedly involved in the kidnap of an ice dealer, ‘The Situation’, in which someone “tried to cut off his finger”, a court has heard.

The Crown will allege Mehmet Yilmaz, known as ‘The Situation’, was kidnapped on the night of July 28, 2016, by a group of men - including former bikie member Erkan ‘Eric the Wolf’ Keskin - and taken to a warehouse in St Mary’s, where he was held for two days and beaten.

Yilmaz had a $20,000 ice debt to a man known as ‘Musti’, an associate of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang, Judge Robyn Tupman told the District Court on Monday.

Erkan ‘Eric the Wolf’ Keskin.

Ergul Cakmakkaya pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

During a pre-trial hearing for two other men charged over the kidnapping, the Crown sought orders in order to rely on certain evidence at the pair’s trial.

The Crown will allege Musti believed Yilmaz started buying drugs from someone else to sell, while still owing him money.

There is a warrant out for Musti’s arrest, who fled Australia for Turkey in September, 2016.

Daniel Hopperton and Ergul ‘Eddie’ Cakmakkaya have both pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, and are due to face trial sometime next year.

Police informant, ‘590’, who the court heard “lured” Yilmaz to the kidnappers, was described by Ms Tupman as “the most significant witness in the Crown case”.

Ergul Cakmakkaya was arrested over the kidnapping of Mehmet Yilmaz. He has pleaded not guilty.

The source told police at 8.24pm on the night of the alleged kidnapping, he drove to Brisbane St, where Yilmaz was standing next to his car and parked so Yilmaz could not drive away.

He will give evidence Musti pulled up in a car and ran towards Yilmaz with a knife, before 590 yelled: “Put the f***ing shank down, don’t worry, I got him”.

The men, including Hopperton, allegedly put Yilmaz in a car and drove in a convoy to the warehouse, where Cakmakkaya allegedly lived and opened the door for them.

Yilmaz was allegedly taken to the front office, before being punched by 590, who told him: “You think you’re good, owing money to the boys and getting (drugs) off someone else.”

At this point, Keskin allegedly entered the warehouse and “threatened” Yilmaz, the court heard.

The source said 590 briefly left the warehouse after he was given Yilmaz’ Subaru WRX as payment.

He will give evidence he drove back to find everyone had left except for Yilmaz, another man and two women, who were smoking ice.

Ms Tupman told the court: “He saw Yilmaz had a bad cut to a finger on one hand. The Crown’s case will be someone during the course of the abduction tried to cut off his finger.”

The court heard Yilmaz was allegedly released on July 30, 2016, and given two days to repay his debt, the Crown will allege.

That night at 1.26am, Yilmaz called the Police Assistance Line to report the kidnapping, the court heard.

Yilmaz died in an unrelated incident in September, and Judge Tupman said there is no connection between his death and the events the subject of the trial.

The Crown was granted permission by Ms Tupman to use several pieces of evidence in a future trial, including the statement from witness ‘590’, a call and statement Yilmaz made to police and statements from his fiance, mother and father.