Daniel Bodagh: Men’s Galley strip club sentenced at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court after alleged shooting

A man who got involved in a verbal stoush outside a well known Melbourne strip club that ended with a teen being shot in the leg has been told “this is the wake up call you need” in court.

Police block Lonsdale Street to investigate an alleged shooting at the Mens Gallery. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A man who got involved in a verbal stoush outside a well known Melbourne strip club that ended with a teen being shot in the leg has been told “this is the wake up call you need” in court.

Daniel Bodagh, 25, fronted Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on Monday after pleading guilty to affray.

Bodagh and his co-accused, Walid Chaaban, were charged after a 19-year-old was shot outside The Men’s Gallery strip club in Melbourne CBD.

Police block Lonsdale Street to investigate the alleged shooting at the Mens Gallery. Picture: Andrew Henshaw.

According to documents previously tendered to court, Bodagh became involved in a verbal altercation outside the strip club on December 10, 2023.

At some point during this altercation, the 19-year-old punched Mr Chaaban in the face.

Mr Chaaban then allegedly fired a shot from a .45 calibre semi-automatic handgun into the 19-year-old’s left leg which resulted in serious injuries. He was transported to The Royal Melbourne Hospital where he had to have a surgery.

Mr Chaaban was not involved in any of the verbal altercation and the firearm he allegedly used was never recovered.

Police at the scene of the alleged shooting outside Mens Gallery in December 2023. Picture: Andrew Henshaw.

Since the strip club brawl, the court heard Bodagh had once again landed himself in hot water.

In May, Bodagh was sentenced for cocaine possession and dealing with the suspected proceeds of crime. For these offences, he was fined a total of $1700 and escaped without a conviction.

In court on Monday, defence lawyer Tony Danos asked for his client to once again escape without a conviction, citing Bodagh’s young age, lack of criminal history and pre-sentence detention.

Magistrate Cecile Hollingworth told Bodagh the matter was “extremely serious” and said he should be “a bit more focused” on the people he chose to spend time with.

She described the offence as a “violent affray”, one where a firearm was not only produced but allegedly used as well.

“(If this isn’t) the wake up call that you need, I don’t know what will be,” Ms Hollingworth said.

She added Bodagh could “bet your bottom dollar” he’d end up in jail if the incident had been more serious and someone had died.

Bodagh was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order.

Bodagh’s co-accused, Mr Chaaban, entered not guilty pleas in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court earlier this month to charges of intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, reckless conduct endangering life, the use of a firearm in a dangerous manner, carrying a loaded firearm in a populous place, possessing a loaded firearm in a public place and affray.

He is due to face the County Court later this year.