Jasmin Destanovic: Thomastown Hells Angels bikie boss granted bail amid court backlog

A Hells Angels bikie boss has been granted bail despite a “petrified” victim, alleged targeted in a $200k extortion bid, a court has heard.

Hells Angels bikie boss, Jasmin Destanovic, has been granted bail because of COVID judicial delays, a court today has heard.

The Nomad chapter president appeared in custody at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, via court link, on Thursday after police arrested Mr Destanovic and two Darkside chapter members last month.

The application started on Wednesday and continued today.

He has been charged on seven counts including demanding $200,000 with threats to kill, possessing drugs and threatening to inflict injury.

He has been accused of stabbing a man, threatening to hurt his newborn baby, and to “cut off his fingers” in a $200,000 extortion plot.

Crown prosecution Leigh Harrison said the victim was “petrified” of him being released.

“Your Honour, this is an extortion of a higher value, that includes an assault,” he said.

“There is evidence of Monday changing hands.

“This victim is petrified of these people.”

Magistrate Timothy Bourke raised concerns Destanovic could face up three years behind bars before his case goes to trial because of pandemic delays.

“The strongest argument in respect to the bail application is the delay inherent by virtue of the COVID-19 (pandemic),” Mr Bourke said.

The court previously heard Mr Destanovic, from Keilor Downs, allegedly picked up his victim from the Monash Children’s Hospital following the birth of the man’s baby and demanded $150,000, before stabbing him in the arm.

The victim, a 29-year-old man from Clarinda, had already been forced to pay $50,000.

In a statement read to the court police allege on October 22, the victim was told to meet a member of the Hells Angels outside a Mill Park convenience store where he was told to pay the amount in three days for gang protection.

The court heard investigators believe it was an organised club operation where Mr Destanovic got involved to force the victim to pay fees to him and his family with the help of lower level thugs.

Police believe the victim had never owed any money or debt to any of the accused Hells Angels bikie members.

It was alleged in court a 21-year-old Mickleham man and co-accused, from the Darkside chapter, told the man, “We know who you are, we know where you live, we know your girlfriends, we know you are waiting for a baby, we know your family.”

The court heard the victim gave $30,000 in borrowed money to the gang and was forced to transfer ownership of his car into the name of a gang member’s mother.

Two weeks later the victim’s family helped him pay the outstanding $20,000 and a $2000 late fee.

The summary said, on December 18, Destanovic and two co-accused Darkside chapter members picked the victim up from the Monash Children’s Hospital and drove him home where they demanded $150,000 be paid in the next three months.

Destanovic allegedly stabbed him in the arm using a fold-out knife and threats were later made to cut his fingers off.

When he failed to pay the $150,000 last month he received messages saying, “I’m sending the boys tonight to your mum in law … if you don’t reply you will call us crying and begging us to stop … think about Alana (name of victim’s newborn baby girl).”

Echo Taskforce detective Senior Constable Alyce Edwards told the court the victim had been harassed and his newborn baby threatened.

“Communication commenced via phone application Wickr where (he) received continual threats to himself and his family, including his newborn child,” Sen-Constable Edwards said.

“The accused has threatened the victim, the victim’s wife and her family for the past six months.

“ … accused has forced her family to live in fear and continue to pay money to himself and the Hells Angels,” she said.

The wife of the victim told police in an interview last month she believed the violent attack was done out of jealousy.

The three co-accused, including two Darkside chapter members and a Darkside member’s 22-year-old Mickleham wife were arrested.

The three co-accused have been released on bail.

Mr Destanovic will be released on a $250,000 bail subject to the following conditions – he must stay in Victoria, adhere to an 11pm to 6am curfew, only have one smartphone, cannot associate with the co-accused and will report to authorities when required.

He will be released from custody to his Keilor downs home where his wife and three children reside.

The case will return to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on June 23.

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