Mongols president Nick ‘The Knife’ Forbes applies for bail in Darwin court after overnight arrest

The Mongols motorcycle gang president will miss his club’s national run to NT after having his bail application knocked back. Here’s how the matter played out in court.

A Queensland bikie boss will spend the next three weeks behind bars after having his bail application denied.

Nick “The Knife” Forbes, the national president of the Mongols, faced Darwin Local Court on charges of aggravated assault and engaging in violent conduct dating back about eight years.

Forbes was arrested at Darwin International Airport overnight by Northern Territory Gangs Taskforce detectives and Australian Federal Police agents after landing on a Jetstar flight from Brisbane about 12.30am on Tuesday.

He was accompanied by his lawyer Michael Gatenby.

The alleged bikie enforcer was arrested over a number of outstanding warrants including one for an alleged assault of a Hells Angels bikie rival at Discovery nightclub in Darwin’s CBD in 2014.

He was also wanted in the Territory over a failure to appear in court charge laid against him while he was in custody in South Australia over a nightclub brawl with Hells Angels in 2011.

In the bail application, Mr Gatenby argued Forbes’ offences were “quite dated” and offered conditions in which his client would return to his home on the Gold Coast and not enter the Darwin CBD.

He also said Forbes, who sat barefoot in the dock, had come to Darwin to voluntarily surrender himself to NT Police and that had been confirmed in writing by the Gangs Taskforce.

Nick “The Knife“ Forbes is arrested at Darwin airport. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“My office has then contacted the gangs squad here in Darwin and we have advised investigating police that Mr Forbes was seeking to surrender himself to the authorities,” Mr Gatenby said.

“Despite this morning’s headlines about the dramatic arrest, Mr Forbes got off the plane and I accompanied him introducing himself to police.

“It’s not this dramatic arrest where Northern Territory Police went fishing for him.

“There is no offence committed by being a member of the Mongols, no offence committed by being the president of the Mongols.”

Opposing bail, prosecutor Ian Rowbottam disputed those claims, saying Forbes was in the Territory to take part in the Mongols’ national run, which will see a large group of the motorcycle gang members arrive in the Top End on Friday afternoon.

“He’s not up here to hand himself in,” he said.

“He’s not here out of the goodness of his heart.

“He comes up, does his run with his mates on their little motorbikes and then subsequently disappears back into the ether for another eight years.”

He also said Forbes was in the Territory to “assist” the Darwin chapter of the Mongols, which has had several members jailed in recent months.

Mr Rowbottam also disputed the alleged assault against a Hells Angels bikie at Discovery nightclub in 2014, telling the court a case of “mistaken identity” had led Forbes to assault an “innocent tradesman” who was not affiliated with the gang.

Judge David Woodroffe denied bail, remanding Forbes in custody until October 31, when he will reappear in court for a directions hearing.