Operation Ironside 3.0: Alleged Comanchero meth manufacturer Darcy Starr wins bail after AN0M arrest but prosecutors seek review
A dad who allegedly made $2m worth of meth for high-ranking Comanchero bikies has won bail – but now prosecutors are trying to stop it.
An Adelaide dad who allegedly made up to $2m of meth for high-ranking Comanchero bikies, while using an AN0M device to tell other users how to make their own, has been granted bail.
Darcy Dudley Starr, 47, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday where Magistrate John Clover released him on home detention bail in the amount of $10,000 to reside at his Burton family home in Adelaide’s north.
That property, the court heard, would have to be sold if Mr Starr were to breach his bail conditions – with his partner of 30 years previously telling the court she was prepared to offer it as a cash guarantee.
However, Mr Starr was remanded in custody after prosecution told the court they would be formally reviewing Mr Clover’s decision in the Supreme Court.
The court earlier heard Mr Starr had a history of breaching bail – and continued to return “multiple positive drug tests” while on parole, as recently as May this year.
“Relevantly, the defendant had just finished serving a custodial sentence of over 12 years, and had commenced the alleged offending before Your Honour while on parole,” prosecutor Joseph Pangerl said.
“There are two breaches of bail that the applicant has been convicted for.
“Most importantly, Your Honour, is that the applicant absconded in 2012 and remained on the run until May 21, 2013. This occurred after the applicant plead guilty for those charges.”
The court was not told what those charges were.
Mr Starr was arrested in October as part of a statewide Operation Ironside crackdown into alleged users of the encrypted AN0M device, which was being secretly monitored by police.
His alleged offending, a court previously heard, includes allegations he manufactured more than $2m worth of meth for “high-ranking” members of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Club.
That meth, the court heard, involved a total combined weight of approximately 3.56kg with street value between $1m to $2.1m.
It was further alleged Mr Starr was “giving instructions” through the encrypted AN0M device on how other users could manufacture the drug.
He is yet to enter pleas to multiple counts of manufacturing a large commercial quantity of drugs and possessing instructions to make drugs.
At his last court appearance, Andrew Ey, for Mr Starr, told the court his client’s daughter was prepared to offer a cash surety of $8000.
Her further submitted Mr Starr’s de facto wife of 30 years was willing to offer up the family home as a bail guarantee.
If Mr Starr were to be released on home detention bail, and subsequently breach his conditions, his Burton property would risk being sold.
Mr Starr’s bail will now be reviewed in the Supreme Court.
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Originally published as Operation Ironside 3.0: Alleged Comanchero meth manufacturer Darcy Starr wins bail after AN0M arrest but prosecutors seek review
