Former Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Damien Payne jailed for weapons and gun offences

A former bikie who joined the Hells Angels in unusual circumstances has been jailed after he was caught with a baseball bat and cable ties on the way to exact revenge.

A former Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms has been jailed after he was caught with a baseball bat and cable ties on the way to exact revenge.

Damien Ashley Payne, 45, was also slammed by a judge for having dangerous weapons in the house where his young children lived.

During sentencing, the District Court heard police went to Payne’s house on July 22, 2022.

They found a homemade shotgun and shotgun shells in a shed and an air rifle in the laundry.

Payne claimed someone had given him the shotgun and he kept it to use for protection.

Former Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Damien Payne was jailed for weapons and gun offences. Photo: File

Police also found a loaded crossbow and catapult in his bedroom and more crossbows in his man cave.

Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said it was concerning that Payne kept such dangerous weapons in his house, which were easily accessible.

“Your two young children, now aged five and two, lived there,” he said.

On April 13, 2023 Payne was stopped in Mount Gambier for a traffic stop.

He claimed to police that he was going to a man’s house for the purpose of carrying out a citizen’s arrest.

“You say that he had been harassing you and your family for over a year,” Mr Barrett said.

“You were found in possession of a baseball bat, a jigsaw blade, gaffer tape and cable ties.”

Mr Barrett said it was evident Payne was acting as a vigilante and was planning to do whatever he needed to do to restrain the man.

Payne pleaded guilty to firearms and weapons offences and was found guilty by a jury of being armed at night to commit an offence against a person.

The court heard Payne had previously been associated with the Hells Angels after offering to fight members of the club, which he won.

“A week later you hid in the roof of the clubhouse and when the members arrived you jumped through the roof and assaulted the members,” Mr Barrett said.

“Accordingly you quickly rose through the ranks of the club being a sergeant-at-arms.”

The court heard Payne had a history of violent offending, including violently bashing a man in 2018 over an argument about the quality of cannabis he sold him.

Payne was given a home detention sentence for that offending, which he breached with the new offences.

Mr Barrett sentenced Payne to four years and four months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and three months jail.

The sentence was backdated to October 13.

Originally published as Former Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Damien Payne jailed for weapons and gun offences