Mongols member cops fine but avoids convictions recorded after nightclub incident

A “hard-working roofer” with a large Mongols Motorcycle Club tattoo who picked up a bar stool during a nightclub fracas has avoided convictions being recorded after pleading guilty to two charges.

Shannon Brian Chapple, 37, pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court to causing a public nuisance in a licensed premises in December 2022 and failing to comply with a police requirement when they activated their lights and sirens in January 2023.

A “hard-working roofer” with a large Mongols Motorcycle Club tattoo who picked up a bar stool during a nightclub fracas has avoided convictions being recorded after pleading guilty to two charges.

The 37-year-old, who has government construction contracts, was fined $1900 for his involvement in a disturbance at Gilligan’snightclub, and failing to stop his motorcycle for police.

Shannon Brian Chapple, 37, who is believed to be a member of the Cairns City Mongols chapter, pleaded guilty in Cairns MagistratesCourt to causing a public nuisance in a licensed premises in December 2022 and failing to comply with a police requirementwhen they activated their lights and sirens in January 2023.

A charge of evasion originally levelled at Chapple in relation to the January incident was dropped when police prosecutorDavid Castor offered no evidence to the court.

Shannon Brian Chapple, 37, pictured leaving court with his wife, was fined $1900 after pleading guilty to charges of contravening a requirement and public nuisance but convictions were not recorded.

Mr Castor said Chapple stepped in during an argument between his “associate” and someone else inside Gilligan’s nightclub,but had stepped back when security staff intervened.

Chapple’s barrister, Martin Longhurst, instructed by Osborne Butler, described his client’s behaviour as “at the lower end … in the spectre of drama at Gilligan’s”.

“There’s footage of him picking up a stool and posturing, but there’s no evidence of him swinging it – he’s exercised restraint,” Mr Longhurst told the court.

He asked magistrate Adam Johnson not to record convictions for “these relatively minor matters” or to disqualify Chapple fromdriving, saying his client had a successful roofing business and needed his licence because he worked extensively from Tullyto Cape York, often for local government and state government clients.

Barrister Martin Longhurst, appearing for Shannon Brian Chapple, 37, said his client was a hardworking roofer who needed a licence for work, and for whom recording convictions would be detrimental to his business.

He noted that Chapple’s criminal history was “largely spent”.

“Given that he has stayed out of trouble for 10 years, he has two children and his wife is in support of him, and about to(have) their third (child).

“There is a lot riding on this – he is a man very motivated to stay out of trouble.”

Mr Johnson accepted that recording convictions would likely cause Chapple “undue harm”.

“You’re a person self-employed in your own roofing business and … I take into account you need your licence for your business,which takes in a large geographical area,” Mr Johnson said.

“It might be said that you exercised restraint and that is a credit to you … in the context of what was going on and swirlingaround at Gilligan’s.”

Mr Johnson did not record convictions and fined him $1100 for failing to stop and $800 for public nuisance, allowing him twomonths to pay the fines.

Originally published as Mongols member cops fine but avoids convictions recorded after nightclub incident