Shane Bowden found shot dead in execution-style killing on Gold Coast
The Gold Coast shooting that claimed the life of notorious bikie Shane Bowden was not the first time an attempt had been made to take his life, it has been revealed, as details of his has unfortunate upbringing have emerged from court documents.
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Queensland police have been working with Victoria’s bikie taskforce in a bid to piece together the events leading to the brutal slaying of notorious bikie Shane Bowden, revealing the high-profile Finks gang member survived a drive-by shooting in Melbourne just weeks before relocating to Queensland this year.
Queensland homicide detectives have been working with Victoria’s Taskforce Echo to gather intelligence on that attempted hit, and what links it may have to the Gold Coast murder.
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Bowden’s difficult upbringing was raised during his sentencing in the County Court of Victoria in 2015 where he was jailed for three years and nine months for aggravated burglary, theft and recklessly causing injury.
Bowden was taken from his parents who were both aged 12 when he was born.
He was adopted by a couple with five older children.
When he was aged in his 30s he made contact with his biological parents but didn’t form a relationship with them and his father later died.
Bowden struggled at school, dropped out early and achieved literacy only to Grade 4 level.
He had a good relationship with his adoptive parents, who were living in Adelaide in 2015, but didn’t have a close relationship with his adoptive siblings who were much older.
He went to the Australian Institute of Sport as a cyclist and wanted to take part in the 1996 Olympic Games but was burnt out and quit before the Olympics were held. He then took up bodybuilding where he met bikies.
“You had felt angry at being denied a family life with closeness to any of your siblings and the club membership has provided you with a peer group that you otherwise lacked,” sentencing Judge Wendy Wilmoth said.
In 2015, he had spent a total of 13 out of the last 15 years in custody. His crimes included serious assaults, drug offences and burglaries.
South Eastern Police Regional Crime Coordinator, Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith, said police did not believe the killing would spark brutal gangland retaliations.
“I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” he said.
“There’s nothing to suggest it’s an inter-gang thing and it would be wrong to suggest that.”
Bowden, a notorious bikie who breached COVID restrictions when he travelled to Queensland from Victoria, has been shot dead in an execution-style killing on the Gold Coast overnight.
Police believe his execution outside his Pimpama home was carried out by locals linked to the
Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang rather than a hit squad sent in from interstate.
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It’s understood Bowden recently returned to the Finks bikie gang, after being booted from the Mongols.
Bowden survived a drive-by shooting in Melbourne earlier this year, just days after he was released from prison.
He was recently booted out of the Mongols and was believed to have rejoined the Finks.
Police were called to a Cox Rd home in Pimpama on the northern Gold Coast about 12.10am where they found Bowden dead.
A short time later, a burnt-out vehicle was discovered nearby in Mirambeena Drive.
Crime scenes have been declared in both locations.
The site of the shooting, in the Warwick Terraces complex, is being heavily guarded by police, with forensic officers scouring the exterior of the unit.
Earlier, a man visited the scene appeared agitated. He was speaking on the phone and later police. As he left in a van he gestured the middle finger towards the waiting media.
A woman also was seen crying on the side of the road and being comforted by police.
Neighbour Rhys Wendtmann said he heard “really loud” bangs overnight.
“Me and my wife just looked at each other (and thought) it was probably just the train line, or kids or something and then we heard cars.
“We went back to sleep and I woke up to the bang, bang bang of police. I thought the whole thing was a dream.”
Wendtmann said he had spoken to Bowden, who had only just recently moved in, a few times.
“He was nice,” he said.
Resident Aidan McAllister said he was sitting on the couch and heard several shots – which sounded far away so he thought nothing of it.
“Turns out it’s a couple of doors down,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a rude awakening in your own street to hear something like that. I’ve done a little bit of research online so I do know that he was a bikie but it’s still an incredibly shocking thing and I feel sorry for his family members.
He said there was cameras throughout the unit complex.
Mr McAllister said the shots were fired in quick succession.
Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said Bowden’s partner and two small children were at home when he was murdered in his driveway.
“It clearly seems he has been ambushed,” Det Supt Smith said.
“At this point we believe the victim came home from the gym and has driven into his driveway, the assailants have run in and shot him multiple times and consequently now he is deceased.”
“He’s basically driven into his driveway, hasn’t gotten out of his car and has been executed.”
The detective confirmed it was bikie related and said it is a matter that is within one club, rather than one club against another.
“It is important that people understand that these gangs are criminals, they don’t take fluffy toys to hospital, they are criminal gangs who survive on retribution, violence and threats and if anyone thinks anything otherwise they’re an idiot.”
“(The family) are obviously upset, it’s not something you expect to happen in your home, but dare I say and nobody deserves to die in this manner, but you live by the sword, you die by the sword.”
Police are searching for two men, a man in a dark clothing and a man in light clothing.
The attack was believed to be from either The Mongols or The Finks bikie gangs.
Bowden was once part of the Finks “terror team” and responsible for shooting Christopher Hudson during the Gold Coast’s ballroom blitz brawl.
Just weeks after departing prison in a flashy exit in June this year, Bowden was attacked in a drive-by shooting at Epping.
Bowden made headlines last month when he was charged by police on the Gold Coast for alleged COVID-19 breaches.
He was charged with giving false and misleading documents under the Public Health Act, with police alleging he lied on his border declaration pass.
Bowden told The Courier-Mail he had come to Queensland – his home state – to recover from a badly infected gunshot wound to his leg.
Bowden said he had been diagnosed with coronavirus while in hospital in Melbourne awaiting surgery.
The Queensland Government initially said he boarded the plane with COVID-19 but later acknowledged he was not contagious.
“When I boarded the plane, I was not COVID positive,” he said.
“I had been given the all clear.
“I didn’t put anyone at risk.
“The government have targeted me because of my past jail time and being OMCG.”
Originally published as Shane Bowden found shot dead in execution-style killing on Gold Coast
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