Bikie outlaws tied up in Geelong’s most shocking crimes
Outlaw motorcycle gangs have long reigned terror on Geelong streets and caused trouble for police. Take a look back at the moments that shocked the city.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Geelong police are confident that outlaw motorcycle clubs will not wreak havoc on the region with more than 130 Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPO) issued impacting a number of members.
Following the shooting of Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed and brother Omar in Sydney on Tuesday, Senior Sergeant Stephen Pucar of the Geelong Tasking and Criminal Investigation Taskforce (TACIT) said local bikie-related violence is unlikely to surge as a result.
“Police are confident there is no intelligence to suggest what occurred in Sydney will lead to ramifications in the Geelong area,” he said.
“This is because of the great relationships Echo Taskforce has both nationally and internationally with regards to the sharing of intelligence.”
The Taskforce is used to monitor and target motorcycle gangs in the area.
It comes Victoria Police were able to cause major disruptions to members of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, who have a local chapter based in North Geelong.
“In January, detectives from Echo Taskforce, supported by Geelong detectives, served FPOs to five residents of the Geelong region who are known members of the Rebels,” he said.
“They also seized a number of registered firearms from addresses in Norlane and Lara, protecting our community by disrupting outlaw motorcycle club’s ability to commit criminal offending.”
Police have confirmed local bikie members have been involved in drug importation and trafficking, extortion, motor vehiclecrime, family violence and assaults against rival groups and community members.
“These groups are heavily targeted through the use of FPOs, specifically in relation to firearms offending,” Senior Sergeant Pucar said.
“However, during FPO compliance searches in Geelong, police have located other illicit materials including drugs, cash and stolen goods, resulting in very successful prosecutions.”
Since coming into effect in May 2018, FPOs have given police the power to proactively prevent firearm-related crime, with recipients facing a ten-year jail term for acquiring, possessing, carrying or using a firearm.
The orders take into consideration the persons criminal history, character and associates before determining if they posea threat to public safety.
Both the Rebels and Bandidos are known to have Geelong chapters.
The unsolved murder of Earl Mooring
In 2003, members belonging to the outlaw bikie gang, the Bandidos, were linked to the torture death of Geelong security guard, Earl Mooring then aged 54.
Mooring was lured to a Whittington property where he was assaulted, before being tortured at a second home.
His body was believed to be thrown into his car and driven to New South Wales were he was later dumped.
Police at the time believed he was the victim of a bungled robbery after those close to him discovered he had a $120,000 cache saved for retirement.
His death remains unsolved.
Shots fired in Breakwater
In 2007 gunshots were fired at the Bandidos Breakwater clubhouse, leaving more than 30 bullet holes.
The Bayldon Court property and car park were peppered with bullets following claims the bikie gang were engaged in a turf war with the Rebels.
At the time, the national secretary of the Bandidos, who lived in Geelong said the club were unable to comment on the attack.
No one was injured during the incident.
Clubhouse murder
Bikie killer John Russell Bedson received a 23-year jail term for murdering rival gang member Ross Brand following a minor incident at the Geelong Cup in October, 2008.
Bedson who was a founding member of the Rebels offshoot Death Before Dishonour had set out to “avenge” an assault armed with a semiautomatic rifle.
He fired a number of shots from the back of his brother’s ute into the clubhouse of the Bandidos.
Brand was shot in the head and died the following day in hospital, while his fellow gang member Paul Szerwinski sustained serious injuries.
The initial altercation took place earlier the same day and involved a member of the Death Before Dishonour (DBD) motorcycle gang, affiliated with the Rebels, and a man nominated to become a Bandido.
Bedson’s brother received a twelve year jail term for his role after pleading guilty to manslaughter and reckless conduct endangering life.
Breakwater explosion
An Australia Day incident back in 2016 left the Bandidos clubhouse engulfed in a ball of fire.
Dramatic CCTV footage captured the incident at the Breakwater property, which showed two men disappearing behind the building before running away seconds later as the fire broke out.
At the time, police were investigating whether the explosion was the result of infighting at the club, or an external disagreement.
There were no injuries as a result of the incident.
Machete attack at South Geelong station
In 2020, John Ford, a former Rebels bikie member was jailed for seven years following a brutal machete attack on a stranger at the South Geelong train station in 2019.
Ford, 48 years old at the time, had become paranoid that Rebels members were out to get him after he left the gang following his twenty year involvement.
The father of five was armed with a machete for protection when he crossed paths with the 41-year-old male victim on a V-Line train in February 2019.
The victim sustained a gaping wound on his arm and while bleeding heavily he rode his bike to St John of God Geelong Hospital and crawled to the door.
A psychologist who assessed Ford said the attack occurred while the ex-bikie was experiencing anxiety and paranoia as a result of his departure from the Rebels.
Bikie enforcer’s bid to overturn sentence
Bandidos enforcer, Mark Matthews fronted court in February, 2021 in an attempt to overturn a seven-year sentence handed down for the brutal bashing of a woman known to him.
The sergeant-at-arms for the Geelong chapter was jailed in 2019 after breaking into a woman’s Norlane home and assaulting her with a piece of wood in front of her two young children.
Matthews, who was sixty years old and more than 200kg at the time, was found guilty of charges including aggravated burglary, intentionally causing injury and assault.
At the time, the court heard that the woman’s 13-year-old daughter tried to intervene during the attack, but was chased away by Matthews.
The appeal was refused and he remains behind bars. His non-parole period remained at four years and 10 months.
Firearms crackdown
In January members of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Club were the targets in a crackdown on illegal firearms.
Ten bikies, including four from the Geelong region were issued with Firearm Prohibition Orders during the raids which uncovered six imitation firearms, firearm parts, ammunition and drugs.
As part of the raids up to twelve properties were searched including addresses in Norlane and Lara.
At the time, Detective Inspector Graham Banks, of the Echo Taskforce, said bikie gangs were a “significant national problem”.
“We know these members of the Rebels OMCG have been involved in violent crimes such as shootings, assaults, arson, drug trafficking, extortion and intimidation and we believe today’s actions will affect this criminal organisation’s ability to commit further offences of this nature,” he said.
Among those issued Firearm Prohibition Orders included a 40-year-old man from North Shore, a 36-year-old man from Breakwater, a 27-year-old man from Lara, and a 48-year-old man from Norlane.
More Coverage
Originally published as Bikie outlaws tied up in Geelong’s most shocking crimes
High profile Geelong sporting centre to close
A basketball training hub part-owned by an Olympic medallist is closing its doors, with management citing rising costs as the key factor.
‘My downfall’: Smith’s message to trade critics, reasons behind move
Bailey Smith has opened up on why he chose Geelong and thanked his former club. But he also had a pointed message for his detractors. Plus, he speaks for the first time as a Cat.