Greg Pearce, ex-Hells Angels boss, caught not filing tax returns for almost a decade

A former bikie boss who once confronted a pair of armed bank robbers has been fined $18,000 for failing to file tax returns and business activity statements.

A FORMER bikie boss who once confronted a pair of armed bank robbers has been fined $18,000 for failing to file tax returns and business activity statements for almost a decade.

Greg Brian Pearce was unable to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday as he was undergoing treatment for Stage 4 prostate cancer.

The former president of the Surfers Paradise Hells Angels has been battling the illness for months. Doctors say it is “life-limiting”.

The 47-year-old is spending about $10,000 a month for a combination of western and traditional medicine to treat the disease.

Pearce sent written instructions to his lawyer Danielle Heable, of Dib & Associates, to plead guilty to 39 counts of failing to provide information when required to do so under taxation law.

Greg Pearce outside of a Brisbane court in 2019.

The court was told that between 2008 and 2015 Pearce failed to lodge his business activity statements (BAS) on 30 occasions for his home renovation.

He was given a chance to do so in 2015 and then again in 2017.

He was charged for failing to do so last year. When the statements were lodged in February this year it was found Pearce owed the Australian Tax Office (ATO) more than $8000.

The court was told that between 2005 and 2016 Pearce failed to lodge a single income tax return.

He was given the opportunity in 2017 and charged last year when tax returns were not lodged.

He did not lodge them until February this year when it was found the ATO owed Pearce $4446.

Magistrate Mark Howden noted that credit would be used to offset Pearce’s debt with the ATO.

Pearce’s illness was taken into account during the sentencing.

“He is very ill with prostate cancer and his life is likely to come to an end as a result of that disease,” Magistrate Howden said.

Pearce was fined $18,000.

Ms Heable said not filing tax returns had been to Pearce’s own detriment as he had been owed money by the ATO.

She said he was also delayed in lodging the tax documents because his accountant dealing with the matter was struck off.

It then took some time for the documents to be transferred to the new accountant.

Ms Heable said Pearce, who works in construction, had been struggling to work due to his illness and had recently sold a home to pay for his treatment.

In September 2019, Pearce chased down a pair of bank robbers after they pointed a gun at him following the robbery of a Burleigh Waters Suncorp bank.

He allegedly told his lawyer at the time: “Nobody does a robbery in my area, with my family and kids around, no one.”