Rebels bikie enforcer fighting to reduce jail time

Rebels strongman, Matthew Bruce, who oversaw a litany of violent crimes, including drive-by shootings, drug trafficking and arson, is fighting to reduce his two-decade prison stint.

A Rebels bikie enforcer who carried a machine gun in a guitar case as he oversaw a litany of violent crimes, including drive-by shootings, drug trafficking and arson, is fighting to reduce his two-decade prison stint.

Strongman Matthew Bruce was in 2020 jailed for at least 15 years for orchestrating a series of terrifying crimes across Melbourne’s west.

Matthew Bruce was known to carry a machine gun in a guitar case as he oversaw violent crimes.

Using manipulation, fear and his bikie colours, Bruce enlisted his twin sister, long-time girlfriend and mistress — who is also his girlfriend’s sister — to help carry out his criminal enterprise.

But the former Rebel now argues his 21.5 year maximum sentence, which would not expire until he is almost 60, was simply too harsh.

Bruce, dubbed ‘Matts Tatts’, pleaded guilty to more than a dozen offences in July 2020 and faced life behind bars.

Barrister Christopher Wareham argued County Court judge Bill Stuart had imposed a manifestly excessive sentence that did not adequately take into consideration Bruce’s dysfunctional childhood, lack of relevant prior convictions and the fact he had spent a large amount of his time while on remand in protection due to his ties to the outlaw motorcycle club.

Mr Wareham said there were “powerful” factors of mitigation at play for his client.

In sentencing, Judge Stuart labelled Bruce “a menace to the community” responsible for “villainous conduct”.

Victorian Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell said on Tuesday that “in all his years” on the bench he had never heard a judge describe an offender that way.

Judge Stuart labelled Bruce ‘a menace to the community’.

In the space of less than three months in late 2018, the former Sergeant-at-Arms gathered no less than six high-powered guns, trafficked five times the large commercial quantity of ice and organised the firebombing of two cars, insurance fraud and a drive-by shooting in early 2019.

With the help of his girlfriend Bruce filmed himself as he fired a SKS military weapon, which can have a kill-shot of more than 300m, in broad daylight in Wombat State Forrest, near Mt Macdeon.

The shocking footage was used in an advertisement for potential buyers of the gun on the black market, as Bruce desperately tried to make some fast cash.

Bruce also admitted to breaching a Firearm Prohibition Order – an order Justice Maxwell noted the bikie had “deliberately disobeyed” just months after it was served.

“This a very high degree of seriousness,” Justice Maxwell said.
“It effectively says, I’m not troubled by this (order) … I will effectively thumb my nose at the whole scheme,” he said.

Jeremy McWilliams, for the Crown, argued the sentence was not excessive nor was it “crushing”.

Illegal firearms seized by Echo Taskforce detectives during investigation of Rebels bikie Matthew Bruce.

“These crimes were carefully crafted, in different fields of criminality, considered, premeditated and undertaken with a profit motive or to advance his criminal authority,” Mr McWilliams said.


“Aside from his pleas of guilty there is little in the way of mitigation,” he said.

Seven others, including Bruce’s twin sister, girlfriend and former mistress, were sentenced over their roles in the various offending.

Justice Maxwell and Justice Maree Kennedy have reserved their decision.