13:10
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Martin Robert, who police say has been linked to Hells Angels activity
Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph
Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph on a 60mph stretch of the A702 near West Linton in the Borders. He had admitted a charge of dangerous driving in a previous appearance at Peebles Sheriff Court. Graham Walker, representing Purves, said he had been "seduced by speed". In addition to his jail term, Purves has also been disqualified from driving for five years. Mr Walker told the court: "It is fair to say superbikes have a seductive appeal to them. "It is fair to say he was seduced by speed." 'Deeply ashamed'However, Sheriff John Horsburgh said there was no alternative to a jail term.
He said: "The speed at which you were travelling means a custodial sentence is the only option I have."
The court heard that Purves, who has since sold his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorbike, covered 0.7 of a mile in just 16 seconds on 13 May this year. His lawyer said he was "deeply ashamed" of the offence.
Procurator Fiscal Morag McLintock told a previous hearing: "We believe this is the highest speed that the police have ever recorded in Scotland. "A police speed check was taking place when officers were alerted by a high pitched whine from the motorcycle's engine." Last year more than 20 motorists were caught travelling at more than 100mph on the Dolphinton stretch of the A702. It has sparked calls for permanent speed cameras in the area.
He said: "The speed at which you were travelling means a custodial sentence is the only option I have."
The court heard that Purves, who has since sold his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorbike, covered 0.7 of a mile in just 16 seconds on 13 May this year. His lawyer said he was "deeply ashamed" of the offence.
Procurator Fiscal Morag McLintock told a previous hearing: "We believe this is the highest speed that the police have ever recorded in Scotland. "A police speed check was taking place when officers were alerted by a high pitched whine from the motorcycle's engine." Last year more than 20 motorists were caught travelling at more than 100mph on the Dolphinton stretch of the A702. It has sparked calls for permanent speed cameras in the area.
Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members
Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members, has been threatened and pushed by one of the gangsters during the incident late yesterday afternoon, reports broadcaster TV2.Police had been on alert as a court case involving Hells Angels spokesman Jørn ‘Jønke’ Nielsen was taking place in the Eastern High Court in the central city.He and AK81 member Esben Hertz were yesterday acquitted of charges implicating them in a stabbing.Not long after the trial’s conclusion, the car carrying the members of AK81, a Hells Angels support group, was stopped on Store Kongensgade, a street near the court house, just outside The Copenhagen Post offices. When a TV2 cameraman began filming the incident, one of the gang members walked over to him, told him to shut off the camera and pushed him away.’Luckily nothing happened to me or the camera, but I can thank the police’s quick intervention for that,’ said the TV2 employee.It is unclear if the police will charge the temperamental gang member.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
"Ballroom Blitz" - Security Footage.
"Ballroom Blitz", which occurred in the packed grand ballroom of the Royal Pines resort at Carrara on March 18, 2006? Police have now released the dramatic television camera footage showing a melee quickly erupting, with chairs and glasses thrown and tables overturned. Gunshots can then be heard.
Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23
Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23, said Lt. Gary Wright of the Maine State Police Criminal Investigation Division. "We're still continuing with the investigation," Wright said. "We have some leads, and we're following up on those ... We have evidence collected on scene, which needs to be evaluated ... None of these types of cases are easy.So far, no one has been charged with Watson's shooting. As of Friday late afternoon, Watson remained at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where his condition was still being monitored, said Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.Wright explained that just because Watson is affiliated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club does not mean the crime had anything to do with the group. However, all angles must be covered. "We have to look at every possibility," he said.When asked about the challenges of conducting an investigation that involves an organization that historically has been hesitant to talk with police, Wright said, "It's a quandary. When dealing with groups like that, it's difficult to get information. We're hopeful we might overcome this obstacle. We're certainly not certain we'll overcome it. Hopefully we develop enough information to be able to proceed ... In the end, you can't force people to talk to you."As of Tuesday, police had not yet spoken with Watson. "We're hoping that when he's physically able to speak with us, that he does," Wright said.
Watson is the only eyewitness to the shooting, he said, but "it's possible that he didn't see anything."
When asked if police are on alert for any indication of retaliation, he said, "We certainly have to be open to that possibility. We're going to be looking for anything related to this incident."Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said there have been few incidents involving even a mention of Hells Angels in the past few years. "There's been complaints here and there but nothing major in the past three or so years," he said.A woman who lives near the clubhouse -- known locally as the Slaughterhouse -- said she heard about six gunshots around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday. When she looked out her window, she saw Watson's pickup truck reverse out of the clubhouse's driveway and into the middle of the road, perpendicular to the flow of traffic. When she went to Watson, there were bullet holes in his back window and side mirror, she said. One bullet appeared to have passed through his seat and entered his neck.An ambulance took Watson to the Canaan Fire Department where a LifeFlight helicopter took him to the hospital in Bangor. He underwent surgery there, McCausland said.Hells Angels members in Canaan declined to talk about the incident on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Scores of motorcyclists arriving at the clubhouse during the group's Fall Roundup Chowder, Stew & Chili Cook-Off Saturday drove past a reporter seeking comment outside the entrance. A Maine State Police trooper could be seen driving past the clubhouse on Route 23 during the afternoon and was later parked just off the road, less than a half mile away.
Watson is the only eyewitness to the shooting, he said, but "it's possible that he didn't see anything."
When asked if police are on alert for any indication of retaliation, he said, "We certainly have to be open to that possibility. We're going to be looking for anything related to this incident."Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said there have been few incidents involving even a mention of Hells Angels in the past few years. "There's been complaints here and there but nothing major in the past three or so years," he said.A woman who lives near the clubhouse -- known locally as the Slaughterhouse -- said she heard about six gunshots around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday. When she looked out her window, she saw Watson's pickup truck reverse out of the clubhouse's driveway and into the middle of the road, perpendicular to the flow of traffic. When she went to Watson, there were bullet holes in his back window and side mirror, she said. One bullet appeared to have passed through his seat and entered his neck.An ambulance took Watson to the Canaan Fire Department where a LifeFlight helicopter took him to the hospital in Bangor. He underwent surgery there, McCausland said.Hells Angels members in Canaan declined to talk about the incident on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Scores of motorcyclists arriving at the clubhouse during the group's Fall Roundup Chowder, Stew & Chili Cook-Off Saturday drove past a reporter seeking comment outside the entrance. A Maine State Police trooper could be seen driving past the clubhouse on Route 23 during the afternoon and was later parked just off the road, less than a half mile away.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial.
David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley ruled after FBI testimony about an allegedly violent confrontation involving the club's ruling panel and renegade West Virginia bikers in 2003. She also heard a recording of a conversation involving Barbeito and other Pagans leaders in Pittsburgh four years ago.Barbeito, who's led the club since 1989, is the lead defendant in a 44-count indictment returned against 55 Pagans and associates from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. The charges include two murder conspiracies, kidnapping, weapons violations and drug dealing.Barbeito pleaded not guilty to one charge stemming the 2003 confrontation and three gambling counts. The Pagans' trial is set for Dec. 15.Barbeito, 49, of Myersville, Md., also faces state kidnapping and conspiracy charges in West Virginia.
The 2003 incident centers on a dispute between national vice president Floyd "Diamond Jesse" Moore and six or seven members of the club's Charleston chapter. Moore also is being held pending trial.
A Pagans member who has become an informant says Barbeito told him to retrieve a shotgun that he held on six or seven cohorts at the club's South Charleston clubhouse, said FBI agent Chris Courtright, who conceded the informant's version of events was not corroborated."He (Barbeito) and the other members who traveled to West Virginia were going to solve this problem," Courtright said. Those members comprised the Pagans' so-called mother club, which investigators say functions as a sort of board of directors for the organization. "He was on the side of Jesse and the mother club members that were present."The dispute was resolved without injuries, though the local members quit the Pagans, Courtright said.Defense attorney Stanley Needleman argued the dispute centered on drug dealing by the Charleston members, who were booted for selling speed."It was Mr. Barbeito who outlawed it," Needleman said.Federal prosecutor Steve Loew also surprised Pagans member William Grayson by calling him as a witness. Grayson has attended earlier arraignments and was in the courthouse but not the courtroom Thursday.Grayson repeatedly invoked his right against incriminating himself and refused to answer questions about his membership in the club and whether he has replaced Moore as national vice president.He did, however, say Moore probably isn't vice president because he's in custody. Grayson also acknowledged two federal convictions for his role in a deadly 2002 brawl with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in New York. Seventy-three Pagans were convicted of federal charges stemming from the fight. One died.
The 2003 incident centers on a dispute between national vice president Floyd "Diamond Jesse" Moore and six or seven members of the club's Charleston chapter. Moore also is being held pending trial.
A Pagans member who has become an informant says Barbeito told him to retrieve a shotgun that he held on six or seven cohorts at the club's South Charleston clubhouse, said FBI agent Chris Courtright, who conceded the informant's version of events was not corroborated."He (Barbeito) and the other members who traveled to West Virginia were going to solve this problem," Courtright said. Those members comprised the Pagans' so-called mother club, which investigators say functions as a sort of board of directors for the organization. "He was on the side of Jesse and the mother club members that were present."The dispute was resolved without injuries, though the local members quit the Pagans, Courtright said.Defense attorney Stanley Needleman argued the dispute centered on drug dealing by the Charleston members, who were booted for selling speed."It was Mr. Barbeito who outlawed it," Needleman said.Federal prosecutor Steve Loew also surprised Pagans member William Grayson by calling him as a witness. Grayson has attended earlier arraignments and was in the courthouse but not the courtroom Thursday.Grayson repeatedly invoked his right against incriminating himself and refused to answer questions about his membership in the club and whether he has replaced Moore as national vice president.He did, however, say Moore probably isn't vice president because he's in custody. Grayson also acknowledged two federal convictions for his role in a deadly 2002 brawl with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in New York. Seventy-three Pagans were convicted of federal charges stemming from the fight. One died.
Guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang
Dredger-operator working to clean up a bush-laden area in the city’s Amager district yesterday got a serious shock when he heard a loud bang.The blast came from a sawn-off shotgun – one of two the dredger had inadvertently dug up, along with some compatible shells in a plastic bag. Police suspect the guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, whose clubhouse is just around the corner from the site.The items have been handed over to the police’s forensic unit.
Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.
Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.
Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom.
Zavisa Drecic, a former member of the Niagara Hells Angels, had been transferred to the Woodbridge chapter of the gang when he was swept up in a provincewide police crackdown in 2007. Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom. He was credited a year for pretrial custody and restricted bail conditions. Project Develop was an OPP-led investigation into the gang that used one of its members as an informant. Drecic was one of 31 people arrested in pre-dawn raids on April 4, 2007, in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. He spent 30 months under house arrest at his Welland home. Drecic, who facilitated drug transactions through a third party, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking illegal substances, but not guilty to trafficking in association with a criminal organization. He was found guilty of the criminal association charge earlier this month. Prosecutor Tanit Gilliam said Drecic brokered a $500 deal via a third party on May 16, 2006, for 279 grams of gamma hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB), commonly referred to as the date-rape drug. On May 25, 2006,, he facilitated the sale of 136 litres of GHB for $25,000. On Sept. 22, 2006, he sold a kilogram of cocaine for $29,500 and one kilogram of ephedrine for $1,500. He also sold a kilogram of cocaine on Feb. 1, 2007, for $36,000. Two other locals arrested during Project Develop have already been through the courts. Kevin Skuta of Welland was sentenced in May to five years and nine months in jail after pleading guilty to trafficking more than 100 litres of GHB and trafficking a kilogram of cocaine.
