Cops go after Rebels bikie president Damian ‘Big D’ Vella
The next two years could prove very lonely for Rebels bikie president Damian Vella if police are successful in having him banned from associating with people he might lead astray.
NSW
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It’s getting hard to be a bikie these days. Just ask Rebels bikie gang national president Damian Vella, also known as “Big D”.
The cops are seeking a court order that will mean he can’t even hang out with his mates for two years, by using the state’s tough anti-bikie laws.
Understandably, the police have argued that it’s probably better for society that Big D doesn’t associate with people he might lead astray, and it’s hard to argue.
The NSW Police have applied to the NSW Supreme Court for an order under 2016 laws that aim to make life so hard for bikies that they give up being bikies.
If the cops are successful, Big D won’t be able to approach any member, former member, associate, hang around, nominee or prospect of an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, which you would imagine would wipe out a large section of his
social network. He also won’t be allowed to travel in “any vehicle” between the hours of 9pm and 6am except “in the case of a genuine medical emergency”.
A Netflix account could be on the cards for lonely nights in because the police also want him banned from any location vaguely connected to any bikie gang.
He will also have to dust off the Nokia 3310 because the police want him banned from using any encrypted communication device, including apps like Whatsapp, or even owning more than one phone.
Vella became the Rebels national president after his uncle, Alex Vella, was stranded in Malta when Australian authorities cancelled his visa. The case will return to court on August 1.
CONVERSION RATE OPTIMISATION
If you buy your wines like Snitch does, it means you look at the number of shiny awards it has on the label and pick the one that has the most.
It turns out Sydney’s law firms and barristers employ a similar — albeit more well thought out — science when it comes to winning clients through their websites.
“It’s all in the catchline at the top of the site,” one Snitch source said.
“It will always be in big bold writing and that’s the first thing people see when they go on your website.
“There’s a huge amount of competition and you can’t expect potential clients to be across every case that you’ve won or lost, so you have to hit them with something that gets them through the door.’
So what’s the science?
Some firms go the wine route, illustrating how many awards they have won.
See Sydney Criminal Lawyers who advertise themselves as “Australia’s most awarded criminal law firm”.
Others go for the personal touch, like Chris Murphy: “He is the epitome of the lawyer who is prepared to represent his clients without fear or favour.”
Barrister Bridie Nolan, who hit the headlines this week, describes her services in the following terms: “A devastatingly experienced Barrister and Arbitrator with exceptional legal skills.”
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REDDY CASE ALMOST READY
We could be edging closer to an answer to one of the state’s great murder mysteries.
That is, who stole the evidence from the unmarked police car that resulted in two men being acquitted of a bikie murder on the first day of their trial.
One of those men, Nathan Reddy, has sued the state for wrongful imprisonment for the
time he spent behind bars with his bail refused.
Reddy had been charged alongside Anothny Tan for the murder of Rebels bikie Edin Smajovic, who was shot dead at Campbelltown in 2009.
Tan and Reddy had their charges dropped when evidence was stolen from an unmarked police car at Fox Studios that said Smajovic’s associate thought he might have accidentally shot the bikie in a Mexican standoff.
Mystery has surrounded how the evidence was liberated. But we might be close to an answer with Reddy’s civil case on Wednesday being told they are edging closer to a full hearing.
Reddy’s lawyer Brett Galloway said: “We don’t want to settle. It’s not about the money … We want to know how this could happen.”
BUTTROSE PHONE DRAMAS PT. 2
Last time Richard Buttrose had police dramas involving his mobile phone, he ended up doing eight years in jail for selling cocaine to the elite in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
This time won’t be quite so bad.
Buttrose, the nephew of media identity Ita Buttrose, is due to face the Downing Centre Local Court on May 7 charged with using a mobile phone while driving.
While it’s not known what he was using the phone for or if he was talking to someone, Buttrose has pleaded not guilty to the offence and has been ordered to appear in court for the hearing.
Got a snitch? Contact
Ava.benny-morrison@news.com.au or Brenden.hills@news.com.au
Originally published as Cops go after Rebels bikie president Damian ‘Big D’ Vella
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