Alleged Finks bikie Daniel James Sweeney will remain in custody after pleading not guilty to blackmail charge

An alleged Finks bikie will spend Christmas in custody after he was charged with blackmail.

An alleged Finks bikie facing an allegation he blackmailed someone into giving him $10,000 will remain in custody over the holidays after denying the charge.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning, Daniel James Sweeney, 40 of Davoren Park, entered a plea of not guilty to one charge of aggravated blackmail.

He was previously charged with another count of blackmail and one count of assault – charges that were dropped during earlier negotiations with prosecutors.

During a previous hearing, the court heard prosecutors had new information alleging Mr Sweeney’s offending related to the attempted collection of a $5000 “club debt” on behalf of the Finks outlaw motorcycle club.

The court then heard that examinations of Mr Sweeney’s phone allegedly uncovered video and audio messages said to be related to the alleged offending.

The messages allegedly included “getting the **** in Semaphore”, “grab more money off him”, and “kicking in his door.”

The court then heard that 12 hours following Mr Sweeney’s arrest on April 5, a rock was thrown at the complainant’s Glanville address, raising concerns for the safety of the community.

Mr Sweeney is an alleged member of the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang.

Police initially alleged that three men went to a Glanville address between March 21 and April 1, and demanded money from the occupant, assaulting him and causing minor injuries.

However, in court on Monday, Magistrate John Wells said Mr Sweeney had been charged with threatening someone for a payment of $10,000.

His lawyer said the matter had not yet resolved.

“Mr Sweeney, it is alleged that between the 20th of March and the 4th of April 2024 at Glanville, you menaced another person by making an unwarranted threat to harm them to get that person to submit to a demand that involved a payment of $10,000,” Mr Wells said.

“It is further alleged that you committed this offence in the company of one or more other persons.”

Mr Sweeney denied the charge, and will spend the next few months in custody before his first appearance in the District Court in January.

A date for trial will be set in the new year.

Originally published as Alleged Finks bikie Daniel James Sweeney will remain in custody after pleading not guilty to blackmail charge