A former Bandidos bikie and fish and chip shop owner has walked free from court after taking part in a “violent pack assault” of an ex-footballer outside a Brisbane nightclub.
Fish and chip shop owner George Bejat, 33, from Hamilton, who also works as a fitness trainer, today wore a pair of sneakers worth $1400 when he admitted to punching a man numerous times outside the Mr Mista nightclub about 3am on February 23, along with two other assailants.
Bejat, a Serbian citizen who has a criminal history for cocaine trafficking, serious assault and tax evasion, admitted he leapt out of a taxi on Ann St, Fortitude Valley at the base of Eleven Rooftop Bar, to join in the bashing of the victim, believed to be an ex-professional footballer.
Police allege Bejat’s two associates – reportedly from the Comanchero MC – fractured the man’s cheekbones with their punches. Police prosecutor Georgia Wheatley submitted that mobile phone videos of the “violent pack assault” show it continued after Bejat stopped punching, and Bejat then failed to help the victim who was left unconscious on the ground.
Bejat helped his associates by continuing the affray with onlookers, leaving his two mates free to continue to punch the victim, she submitted. The police statement of facts, which was read to the court, states Bejat was seen on the video “laughing and taunting bystanders” to the attack.
Snr Constable Wheatley told the court that Bejat deserved to be given a six-month suspended jail sentence because his actions were at “the higher end of seriousness for affray”.
Bejat, who was on a five-year, good-behaviour bond at the time for tax evasion, wore Louis Vuitton “Luxembourg” leather sneakers, bleached skinny jeans, and a diamond earing, in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today before Acting Magistrate Sue Ganasan where he pleaded guilty to a single charge of affray.
After watching videos of the attack, Acting Magistrate Ganasan sentenced Bejat to a two months jail sentence, suspended for a year.
Bejat’s barrister Michael Copley QC told the court that Bejat “would have been” drinking alcohol that night, but did not start the fight and only joined in when his friend started punching. Mr Copley told the court that Bejat was jailed for trafficking cocaine in 2006. He was later twice convicted of public nuisance, in relation to “altercations near licenced premises involving numerous people”, and two years ago was convicted of dishonesty causing a loss after lodging false declarations of income on his 2013 and 2014 tax returns.
Mr Copley told the court that Bejat’s motive for understating his income was “all part of a plan of his to obtain finance from a bank to” buy a yellow Lamborghini for $360,000.
Bejat, who used to own a tattoo parlour, gave the court a character reference from his Serbian Orthodox priest Nikola Stefanov showing that Bejat has matured.
He earns his income from “an interest in” a fish and chip shop on Brisbane’s northside, Mr Copley said.
Acting Magistrate Ganasan declined a police request to ban Bejat from the Fortitude Valley precinct for a year.
Bejat has twice previously been banned from licenced premises after violent incidents in 2016 and 2017, and he has been banned from Fortitude Valley for the past three months, the court heard.
Bejat was president of the Centro chapter of the Bandidos when the Newman government introduced tough new anti-bikie laws after the infamous brawl at Broadbeach on September 27, 2013. He was charged in relation to the Broadbeach brawl and was fined $1750.
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Source: The West Australian