Rebels bikie crew extorted victims at Melton McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, court told
A Rebels bikie crew with a taste for junk food extorted separate victims at fast food outlets and a pub in Melbourne’s west where one man was handed a bullet in an envelope, a court has heard.
Wyndham Leader
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A Rebels bikie crew threatened to kill two men during separate extortions in Melbourne’s west where one victim was handed a bullet in an envelope, a court has heard.
Four Rebels bikies and an associate – who cannot be named for legal reasons – targeted their two victims between January and March 2019.
The first victim was lured to the car park at the Melton McDonald’s near Woodgrove shopping Centre on January 24, the court was told on Tuesday.
The bikies – who wore their “colours” – forced the victim to hand over the keys to his ute.
The crew’s leader threatened the victim.
“Do you want me to kill you?” he said.
“Jump in, we’re going for a drive.”
The bikies, the associate and the victim then drove to a second location.
The man, who was “fearful for his life”, was told he had until Monday to hand over $20,000.
The court heard the victim was let go but he reported the incident to police who listed the man’s car as stolen.
The bikies harassed their victim by phone the next day after learning he’d reported them to police.
They demanded his ute be unlisted as stolen, and he now had until that night to cough up the dough.
Text messages intercepted by police captured the bikies referring to their victim as the “cheeky c***”.
“I should’ve slapped the little c***,” a bikie said via text.
On March 3, the Rebels’ crew targeted their next victim.
They extorted $1900 from the man and his friends after claiming they were collecting cash for an apparent car repairs debt.
The victim was later summonsed to Domino’s Pizza in Melton where he handed $1100 to a bikie, the court heard.
The man was ordered into neighbouring Mac’s Hotel where the crew’s boss told the victim he “had a present for him”.
The boss handed the victim an envelope which contained a shotgun cartridge.
“Put that in your pocket,” the ringleader said.
Later, a bikie allegedly said: “A bullet similar to the one in the envelope will be put in the (victim’s) head.”
The “petrified” victim showed the bullet to a friend and said he needed $5000 by Friday or “this is going in me”.
The Rebels associate pleaded guilty in the County Court on May 12 to charges including two counts of extortion with threat to kill, and carjacking.
The plea hearing will continue on May 14.
The four patched Rebels – including a high-ranking member – are awaiting trial for their roles in the extortions.
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