Senior members of the Nomads OMC have been sentenced over their participation in a criminal group during a period of what the prosecutor described in a statement of facts as “extreme” and “unpredictable” violence across the Hunter region.
Key points:
- Prosecutors said an 18-month violence spree across the Hunter was sparked by former young Nomads leaving for a rival outlaw group
- President of the Nomads Newcastle chapter Bradley Bowtell was handed a 24-month intensive corrections order
- The judge rejected a plea from Mr Bowtell’s lawyer to allow his client to enter licensed premises
High-ranking members including president of the Nomads’ Newcastle chapter Bradley Bowtell pleaded guilty to charges of participating in the club, under a deal with prosecutors last week.
While allegations of violence by police were levelled at the individual clubs, these charges did not assert that members charged and sentenced directly engaged in those criminal acts.
Bowtell and other senior members James Quinnell, Dylan Brittliffe and Kane Tamplin admitted to being members of the club during that time that the two clubs were alleged to have taken part in fire bombings, serious assaults and drive-by shootings.
In a statement of facts tendered to the court, police described the events as an emergency due to their “dangerous” and “unpredictable” nature, which they say put the public at risk.
Prosecutors said the 18-month spree of violence across the Hunter was sparked by a “patch over” of a number of young Nomads who left the club and joined the rival outlaw group the Finks.
In sentencing on Monday, Bowtell was spared a custodial sentence and instead handed a 24-month intensive corrections order for participating in the club.
He is banned from associating with other club members or attending licensed hotels for two years.
Bowtell was also given a three-year community corrections order for breaching a Serious Crime Prevention order and will have to perform 168 hours of community service.
The role Bowtell played “was more serious than others”, but also taking into account his guilty plea, the orders were “appropriate and in parity” with previous sentencing outcomes given to members of the rival Finks, Newcastle Local Court Magistrate David Price said.
“It must be remembered this is a term of imprisonment served in the community,” he said.
Bowtell’s lawyer Christopher O’Brien asked that the orders not include a restriction on his client attending licenced premises, arguing that even if instances of violence had occurred at such locations in the past, Mr Bowtell was never implicated as having being involved.
Magistrate Price rejected the request saying the restriction were appropriate.
“My view is preventing that access is tough but appropriate punishment. Yes, it impinges on his life, but it’s important [that] members of the clubs and pubs feel safe,” he said.
“If you are caught in this type of conduct, you will be punished.”
James Tamplin received a 22-month intensive correction order while a third member was deemed “far lower” on the scale of culpability and saw less severe restrictions.
CCTV shows victim set upon
The prosecution’s statement of facts tendered to the court describes residents being put at risk by the activities of the club on a number of occasions.
In one instance in March 2017, an attack on the Nomad’s Sergeant of Arm’s residence saw thirty rounds fired from a military style weapon, with bullets passing through the unit and into the homes of three surrounding neighbours.
Police believe the attack was in retaliation to the group’s involvement, days earlier, in the bashing of a former Nomads member who had recently patched over to the Finks, the statement of facts said.
That incident took place at a popular Anytime Fitness gym in the Newcastle suburb of Kotara where CCTV footage shows the victim being set upon by suspected Nomads members and bashed with gym weights and a metal crossbar in front of shocked gym goers.
The document also details instances where Nomads motorcycle members allegedly assaulted members of the public in January 2017 during an incident at the Hunter River Hotel in East Maitland.
A victim was allegedly knocked unconscious in the melee and other patrons assaulted when the fight moved outside.
The document describes another alleged unprovoked attack on patrons at the Honeysuckle Hotel in Newcastle which police described as “extremely violent”.
A victim was allegedly headbutted and a second person sustained injuries after allegedly being repeatedly kicked and bashed on the ground.
Unprecedented powers end violence
In April 2018 after seizing weapons including an improvised explosive device during a raid, NSW police made application for orders that gave them unprecedented powers to monitor club members from both clubs.
Bradley Bowtell and Kane Tamplin were among five Nomads members who were subject to the highly restrictive Serious Crime Prevention Orders that were granted under never before used legislation in NSW.
It allowed police to more closely monitor individual members’ electronic communications, restrict their movements and communications with other club members, as well as carry out further raids.
Police said that since the orders were granted, the violence between the two groups has stopped.
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Source: ABC