Police sue Darwin Hells Angel to recoup $57,000 in alleged filthy lucre following tattoo shop raid

NT Police are taking civil action against Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Phil O’Shea in a bid to recover more than $50,000 in allegedly ill-gotten gains

Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Phil O'Shea is marched out of his home by riot police during his arrest in 2017. Picture: NT Courts

• Hells Angels boss given nine months jail for meth supply
• Court rules cops didn’t plant drugs on Hells Angel

NT POLICE are taking civil action against Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Phil O’Shea in a bid to recover more than $50,000 in allegedly ill-gotten gains.

The force has applied in the Darwin Local Court for the forfeiture of $57,150 cash after O’Shea was jailed for nine months in April following a raid on his house and tattoo shop that uncovered methamphetamine and $54,000.

O’Shea pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to supplying less than a commercial quantity of meth, possessing a prohibited weapon and drug-driving while other charges of possessing drugs and $38,000 in filthy lucre were withdrawn.

But an affidavit signed by Asset Forfeiture Unit detective Senior Constable Linda Kitchen details inquiries with Centrelink and the tax office which revealed “it is more likely than not that the cash is crime-derived property”.

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The investigation concluded that O’Shea had received less than $30,000 in welfare payments since the start of 2018 while his business, Phoenix Custom and Body Tattoo Art took in just over $10,000 since July last year.

O’Shea is due to be released from prison in September after Local Court judge Elisabeth Armitage handed him an 18-month jail term, to be suspended after nine months, in April.

In sentencing, Ms Armitage said the jail time was to reflect O’Shea’s “ongoing association with drugs”.

“People who get involved in that for commercial gain will end up in jail,” she said.

In 2018, Local Court judge Tanya Fong Lim ruled police did not plant meth in his home and were justified in his violent arrest after finding him guilty of drug possession, assaulting police and resisting arrest.

In handing down her decision, Ms Fong Lim found while there were “some inconsistencies” in the evidence of police witnesses, O’Shea’s lawyer’s attempt to discredit them had failed.

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She said while the force involved in O’Shea’s arrest may be “confronting”, the officers actions were justified.

“They have been faced with an aggressive, large man, known for violence and it was taking all of their strength to contain him,” she said.

“They were clearly within the execution of their duties in restraining the defendant given his immediate aggression and failure to comply with directions.”

O’Shea was given a six month, fully-suspended jail term for those offences.

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