New theory on why thieves stole from Hells Angel’s Peter ‘Skitzo’ Hewat

Thieves who stole trucks from the towing yard of Hells Angels strongman Peter “Skitzo” Hewat made two very big errors, insiders believe.

Hells Angel enforcer Peter Hewat

Thieves who stole trucks from the towing yard of Hells Angels strongman Peter “Skitzo” Hewat may have been planning to hide them to damage his business, towing insiders believe.

Hewat was shot at in a dramatic July 8 confrontation in which he chased one of two rigs snatched from Heavy Haulage Trucks Australia in the early hours of the morning.

One industry figure said there was no way the three men who arrived at his Craigieburn business and stole the two trucks, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, did not know who they were targeting.

The trio broke into the Technical Drive yard then started up a big Kenworth tow rig and another smaller truck with an excavator on the back and left the yard.

They are believed to have stopped for several minutes in a nearby street.

A source said one theory was that they did not know how to turn the haulage truck’s lights on.

Meanwhile, security system motion sensors at the yard had alerted Hewat about what was going on.

Had the thieves read the company’s website, they would have known HHTA’s trucks are fitted with GPS monitoring technology.

Hells Angel enforcer Peter ‘Skitzo’ Hewat with his son, Beau Hewat. Picture: Facebook

Hewat was quickly on the case and tracked one of them to Rosehill Boulevard in Mickleham where he confronted the alleged thief.

That man is alleged to have opened fire on Hewat before driving off.

A 34-year-old man was later arrested by officers from the special operations group.

A raid of a Glenroy home is alleged to have uncovered an AR-15 assault rifle, a World War II Thompson submachine gun, a handgun, a gel blaster handgun, detonation cords and ammunition.

Methylamphetamine and GHB were also seized and a man – allegedly on a firearm prohibition order – has been charged with weapons and drug offences.

A police helicopter tracked the other truck to Roxburgh Park where it was intercepted by officers from Broadmeadows.

It is unclear what the thieves planned to do with the heavy haulage truck.

“You certainly wouldn’t be stealing them to use them,” the industry figure said.

Though valuable, it would have been hard to find a buyer for a stolen item of that nature.

There was the additional risk of Hewat putting the feelers out for anyone trying to offload his property, which carried the chance of serious fallout.

Another possibility is that the trucks were stolen not for profit but simply to damage HHTA.

“I’d bet anything it’s not random,” the source said.

“They knew what they were doing and who they were doing it to. It’s personal.”

Peter Hewat, who sources say regularly carried out towing work on Melbourne roads, is not listed on corporate documents for Heavy Haulage Towing Australia.

His daughter Skye and son Beau are named as directors.

The formidable Hewat has had a long association with the Angels’ East County chapter where he has served as sergeant-at-arms.