Shane Bowden murder case: Accused getaway driver’s ‘wild’ claim in bikie execution case

The accused getaway driver in the “military” style execution of bikie Shane Bowden has denied affiliation with the Mongols despite the prosecution’s claims.

Slain bikie Shane Bowden

The accused getaway driver in the “military” style execution of bikie Shane Bowden has been denied bail after recorded prison calls of him allegedly expressing interest in joining a new prospective chapter of the Mongols in Brisbane.

Crown prosecutor Brendan White told the court it was “wild” that Peter Michael Cummins disputed being a member of the Mongols, an outlaw motorcycle gang allegedly caught up in the murder of the Finks-linked Mr Bowden at his Gold Coast home in October 2020.

“That’s extraordinary that submission that he isn’t (a member),” Mr White said.

“It is wild. I mean we have business records, where he’s the treasurer of the Mongols the West City Chapter.

“He has West City tattooed on his … eight fingers, he’s visually observed at these Mongol events, funerals in Mongol clothing, patches.

“He’s got the No. 13 in Roman numerals for M – which could be murder it could be Mongol, this is what (police) say – on his cheek.

“Bikies and Mongols that is for life, that is a life commitment, and it’s a commitment to live outside the law.”

Cummins, who is one of nine men charged with the murder of Mr Bowden, applied for bail in Brisbane’s Supreme Court this week.

Bowden was shot 21 times at point-blank range by two hooded men, one armed with a 9mm automatic pistol the other a shotgun, in the garage of his home at Pimpama on the northern Gold Coast.

The court heard there were concerns about Mr Bowden coming to Queensland after he was rejected by the Mongols, his old club, in Victoria where he was shot with fears he might try and patch recruits over to the Finks.

Mr White opposed the application for bail by Cummins, who is charged as a party to murder, not a principal offender.

Shane Bowden shortly before his death in October 2020

“This is the murder circumstances at the worst end of the spectrum when considering bail … because what is on trial here today is a sophisticated organised crime syndicate execution of a person,” he said.

“You’re talking about giving someone bail who’s involved in a military execution with high powered weapons, multiple arsons of cars.”

Mr White alleged Cummins was “an actor” in the killing claiming the defendant operated a tracking device communicating with a device that had been placed on Mr Bowden’s car “right up to death.”

“He’s the getaway driver … he’s not a shooter he’s driven the shooters there,” Mr White alleged.

“You can thoroughly see this man die and get executed. And then (Cummins’) moved off with the cars and swapped the vehicles.

“And … the three of them have set fire to the cars.”

The alleged case against Cummins is wholly circumstantial based on telco records and vision of his vehicle, the court heard.

The court heard an indemnified witness placed a tracking device on Bowden’s car that was sending its location data to an iPhone 6 that the prosecution allege was in Cummins’ possession along with a cypher phone.

The basis for the allegations are Cummins own personal unencrypted mobile phone.

“The iPhone six tracking the deceased, the yellow cyber phone – that members of the murder conspiracy are using to communicate – and his personal phone, they have mirroring of movements,” Mr White alleged.

“They move around together, except for the night of the murder, when just the two of the relevant devices the cipher and tracking device they end up there.”

The indemnified witness also claims that the murder weapons were collected from Cummins’ home, the court heard.

Mr White objected to bail on a number of grounds including the risk of Cummins interfering with witnesses.

“If they go missing the case collapses against other offenders,” he said.

Shane Bowden was affiliated with the Finks.

Cummins’ barrister Scott Lynch, instructed by SANS Law, said the indemnified witness – who refers to his client as “Skinny Pete” – would make “fertile ground” for cross examination given his own involvement in illegal activities like money laundering, drug trafficking and other offences.

Mr Lynch also pointed to the substantial time Cummins’ had already spent in custody and the further lengthy time he will spend there until trial, with a committal not expected until October.

He also highlighted how Cummins’ phone – the alleged link to the tracking device and cypher phone – was not at the scene of the shooting but at his home.

Mr Lynch disputed his client was a Mongol and given there was no direct evidence of him being the getaway driver or involved in the planning of the shooting it was not a compelling case against his client.

Justice Lincoln Crowley said he considered the case at present a reasonable circumstantial one and there seemed to be considerable evidence suggesting Cummins is a member or associated with the Mongols.

The court heard Cummins allegedly spoke to a person on a recorded prison call about a new chapter of the Mongols in Brisbane that the person had set up.

“A bit later the applicant said, ‘so where am I? Where do I fit in? I’m just a f*****g nomad brah,” Justice Crowley said.

The other person told Cummins he could slot in wherever.

The court heard “nomad” is a reference to a bikie without a chapter.

The defence argued Cummins was just talking to an associate about being in custody and having nowhere to go.

But Justice Crowley found the conversation was about a new chapter which Cummins would or might be able to join if released on bail.

“It is concerning that the applicant … whilst in custody he has continued to express the view to return to that lifestyle and club membership if released,” he said.

Bail was refused.

Originally published as Shane Bowden murder case: Accused getaway driver’s ‘wild’ claim in bikie execution case