Bikie boss Toby Mitchell brags on social media after being bailed over alleged South Yarra brawl
Mongols bikie boss Toby Mitchell has boasted on social media about being bailed after an alleged assault described by his lawyer as the “most minor incident in the world”.
Police & Courts
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Bailed bikie boss Toby Mitchell has posted to social media after he was charged and bailed on Tuesday in regards to an alleged assault.
“Who said you can’t get in trouble during COVID,” Mitchell wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
The Mongols president also shared a video from his South Melbourne apartment overlooking Melbourne’s CBD with the caption: “From a jail cell to a dream in a day”.
The video was accompanied by a disparaging song about police.
Mitchell, a big user of social media, also posted a photo of cash seized by the police, returned to him in a tamper evident audit bag.
Mitchell was ordered to steer clear of his Mongol club mates when he was released on bail over an alleged assault outside a popular cafe in South Yarra.
Mitchell, the president of the motorcycle gang’s Melbourne chapter, is accused of hitting his victim in the head three times outside Gilson cafe on Domain Rd in front of “fearful” onlookers on Sunday October 4.
Police told the court they had not yet established a motive as the alleged victim refused to make a statement to police “in fear for his life”.
Instead, police were forced to seize his medical records which stated he was admitted to hospital after he claimed he lost consciousness during the alleged assault.
Members of the bikie busting Echo Taskforce seized CCTV footage from the cafe which they say depicted the alleged assault between the “associates”.
Senior Mongol figure Mark Balsillie was also believed to have been present during the alleged incident.
Detective senior constable Lauren Kane told the court a week after the alleged fracas up to 15 members of the Mongols gathered outside the cafe in an “obvious show of strength” and display of intimidation towards any witnesses.
After leaving her business card with the cafe, Det Kane said she received a call from the tattooed bikie boss asking why police were investigating the incident.
Police opposed bail, arguing Mitchell was an unacceptable risk and likely to use his “network of contacts” to interfere with any witnesses.
“(Mitchell) assaulted the victim multiple times … outside a popular cafe on a Sunday afternoon,” Detective Kane said.
“Members of the public backed away, too fearful to continue walking while the accused was assaulting the victim,” she said.
Mitchell’s lawyer Damian Sheales accused police of “grandstanding” in court and said the alleged assault was “the most minor incident ever”.
“Some of this is quite fanciful,” Mr Sheales told magistrate John Bentley.
Mr Sheales said Mitchell slapped the victim three times with an open hand.
“(The victim) doesn’t even lose the beer he is holding,” he said.
“We’re a bit mystified why (Mitchell) was not bailed from the police station, it’s got the smack of grandstanding about it,” Mr Sheales said.
Mr Bentley said he would grant Mitchell bail on the condition he did not associate with any Mongols club members and stayed at least 150m away from the cafe.
Mitchell, who appeared in court via video link from a police cell wearing a matching black and white tracksuit and hospital mask, is due back in court on March 12.
Charge sheets released by the court show the 45-year-old has been charged with four offences including affray, intentionally cause injury and two counts of unlawful assault.
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