An alleged senior Comanchero applied to be released on bail while facing murder conspiracy charges – but a pleasant birthday message on a prison card has scuppered his bid.
Lawyers, bikies, Italian organised crime figures and “trusted insiders” are among 160 people targeted by the Australian Federal Police.
The man, whose name is suppressed, is charged with conspiracy to murder, participation in a criminal organisation and large scale drug dealing.
After almost two years behind bars, the man applied to the Supreme Court to be released on strict home detention bail as he awaits trials which have been delayed until 2025.
However, the man’s submissions about having distanced himself from his criminal associations was undermined by the revelation that he had signed a birthday card to another alleged senior member of the Comanchero.
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A prosecutor told the court a co-accused of the man had organised a birthday card for a third man – also a member of the alleged murder plot.
Inside the card, the alleged senior Comanchero was reported to have signed his name next to the Comanchero code “1331” – which is short for ACCA, in itself a shortened form of Always Comanchero, Comanchero Always.
During the bail application, Gilbert Aitken, for the man, said the evidence against his client stemmed from the compromised AN0M app which was secretly under surveillance by the Australian Federal Police.
A legal challenge has been mounted against the legality of the messages sent and received over the app.
“There is simply no doubt that the Ironside matter is a matter of national importance and will end up in the high court, which is a lengthy process,” he said.
Mr Aitken argued his client had around a million dollars in property restrained by the court and would risk having all those assets surrendered to the court if he tried to flee while on bail.
A prosecutor told Supreme Court Justice Julie McIntyre that the man was intimately bound up in an alleged plot to “knock” a rival drug dealer.
The alleged Comanchero has been refused bail on a charge of conspiracy to murder.
The man is accused of brainstorming ways to kill the rival and putting forward potential shooters who might be willing to wipe their drug debt in exchange for their involvement.
Prosecutors allege the plan to kill the man was almost executed on two occasions, but did not end up happening despite a firearm and stolen motorbike being sourced.
Last week Justice McIntyre said the delays in the court case weighed heavily in the application.
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“The delay in this matter is significant,” she said.
“Your counsel has said there are a number of matters which may further delay the trial – I accept this is the case,” she said.
However, Justice McIntyre refused bail, saying the man’s ongoing and long standing links to the Comanchero made him an unacceptable bail risk.
The conspiracy to murder charge is expected to go to trial in 2025 with a trial estimated to run for 12 weeks.