Mongols bikie Sam Chamoun in court over alleged boat theft and firearms possession after bungled Balaclava escape attempt
A Mongols bikie who allegedly stole a boat while armed with three firearms has appeared in court after a bungled escape attempt took out a street of parked cars including a police vehicle.
Inner South
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A Mongols bikie who allegedly stole a boat while armed with three firearms has appeared in court after a bungled escape attempt took out a street of parked cars including a police vehicle.
Sam Chamoun, 41, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on December 5 for a committal mention, facing two charges of possessing a firearm, one charge of possessing an imitation firearm, two charges of a motor vehicle and one charge of dangerous driving.
The court heard Mr Chamoun allegedly stole a Nissan Patrol from Windsor on February 9, before allegedly stealing a boat and its trailer from a Port Melbourne multi-level carpark just a few days later.
Both alleged thefts were caught on CCTV.
On February 27 a witness contacted police after he saw Mr Chamoun and a female allegedly park the Nissan with the boat attached in Balaclava.
Mr Chamoun had allegedly driven to the end of the street and was stationary when police arrived.
The court heard he then allegedly steered the Patrol to move around the police car in an attempt to escape, in turn hitting the police car and a number of other parked cars.
He allegedly continued down the street at a “considerable speed” before losing control of the vehicle, causing the boat to dislodge from the trailer and collide with another parked car, and the Patrol to lose a wheel.
Despite the tyre loss, Mr Chamoun allegedly kept driving before dumping the car in Raven Grove and attempted to flee in an Uber.
The court heard the Uber was stopped by police around the corner, where it is alleged Mr Chamoun got out and began to flee on foot.
He was caught and arrested in alleged possession of two satchel bags, containing a silver handgun, an inoperable antique, sawn off shotgun and two zip-lock bags holding loose ammunition.
Police searched the Nissan Patrol, finding a black and white Moet Chandon bag abandoned inside, allegedly containing a crow bar, a screwdriver, pliers and other tools police allege to be used for home invasions.
The court heard Mr Chamoun was also alleged to have been in possession of a black handled knife in a sheath, a hammer, a large mallet and additional tools.
Mr Chamoun’s lawyer argued that despite Mr Chamoun allegedly being in possession of the weapons, it didn’t demonstrate that he had used them in the alleged thefts, or that he intended to use them, therefore reducing the seriousness of the firearms charge.
Magistrate Rohan Lawrence disagreed, saying the possession of the weapons while allegedly committing another crime was “serious”, particularly because he was in public at the time of the alleged offending.
The matter was adjourned and Mr Chamoun will return to court on January 10.
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