Australian biker gang chief charged
with airport murder - SYDNEY --
The head of Australia's Comanchero
motorcycle gang has been charged with
murder over a deadly brawl fought in
front of horrified passengers at Sydney
airport, police have said.
Mahmoud “Mick” Hawi, 29, had already
been charged with affray over the gang
violence, which erupted between the
Comancheros and members of the rival
Hells Angels group at Sydney's domestic
terminal in March.
Anthony Zervas, 29, was bludgeoned to
death with a crowd control barrier pole
during the fracas involving up to 20
bikers as passengers at the check-in
counter could only look on. Police said
they arrested Hawi at his home Tuesday
and charged him with the murder of
Zervas, the brother of a Hells Angels
gang member.
Statements had been taken from “several
hundred” witnesses, and forensic
evidence would also be used in the case
against Hawi, said Andrew Scipione, the
commissioner of police for New South
Wales state.
“We said that we will clean up this
murder incident at the airport, and
today we've moved towards that,”
Scipione said, adding that the murder
charge had been laid on advice from the
state's chief prosecutor.
Zervas' grieving mother, Frederika
Bromwich, confronted Hawi's family as
the suspect was brought before Sydney's
Kogarah Local Court.
“May you rot in hell and get all the
pain you gave me,” she shouted, spitting
at Hawi's relatives.
“Even my spit is worth more than Mick
Hawi,” she said.
Mick Keelty, head of the police force
which patrols the airport, blamed faulty
security cameras at the terminal for the
delayed response of officers on the day,
who took 15 minutes to arrive on the
scene.
“As I said at the time, the cameras at
the airport are not under the control of
the Australian Federal Police,” said
Keelty, following the laying of the
murder charge.
Tough new anti-terrorism style laws
outlawing biker gangs were passed in the
wake of the violence, which sparked
reprisal shootings and bomb threats.
A national government review of security
at the airport, Australia's largest, was
also promised following allegations the
bikers had been agitated both on their
flight and in the airport for some time
before the brawl began.
Police have said they were not aware of
the violence until a terrified passenger
at the airport made an emergency call.
Experts say the biker violence stems
from turf wars over drug distribution,
particularly methamphetamine or “ice.”
The recent clashes raised fears that
long-simmering tensions between gangs
such as the Hells Angels, Comancheros,
Bandidos and Rebels could explode into a
full-scale biker war.
Australia's worst outbreak of biker
violence was a 1984 shootout between the
Bandidos and Comancheros in the car park
of a Sydney pub, in which six gang
members and a 15-year-old girl died.
Bikies may have blown their case -
Adelaidenow -
THE Finks Motorcycle Club has "shot
itself in the foot" and possibly ruined
its legal challenge to anti-bikie laws,
the Supreme Court has warned.
Today, Justice David Bleby said the
club's success in having control orders
against its members deactivated meant it
no longer had anything to oppose.
He said the high profile challenge must
be urgently rewritten, or "run the risk"
of having the state's highest court rule
it meaningless.
"It seems to me you have a problem. The
order that was made against (club
members) has been stayed," he said.
"Haven't you shot yourselves in the foot
with that? If you don't have an order
that's in force, how can you possibly
challenge it?
"You run the risk that the Full Court is
going to say there is nothing for it to
determine."
Finks members Sandro Peter Totani and
Donald "Duck" Hudson claim the Serious
and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008 –
which governs the issuing of control
orders – is unconstitutional and should
be declared invalid.
Eight Finks were subjected to control
orders before the Adelaide Magistrates
Court stayed their operation, pending
the outcome of the challenge.
The court also refused to entertain new
control order applications.
Today, Justice Bleby– who must decide
whether the matter will be heard by the
Full Court of the Supreme Court – was
critical of that stance.
"One has to assume the law is valid
until it is declared invalid," he said.
"Whatever one might think about the
merits of the law, it's not for judges
or magistrates to enter into that
field."
Solicitor-General Martin Hinton, QC,
said the challenge should be heard "as
soon as possible" even without control
orders in force.
The court has previously heard claims
police efforts to curb bikie crime have
"ground to a halt" because of the
challenge.
Mr Hinton likened the case to a gay
couple's 1995 High Court challenge to
Tasmania's anti-homosexuality laws.
"Those who challenged the laws were not
subject to prosecution, but had the
possibility of prosecution hanging over
their heads," he said.
"Just like it is clear, on the
documents, that Hudson and Totani have
the possibility of control orders
hanging over their heads."
He asked the matter "simply" be referred
to the Full Court on the basis of
documents already filed – but Justice
Bleby refused, saying that was
inappropriate.
He adjourned the hearing until Friday to
give the parties time to redraft their
documents.
Vineland motorcycle crash injures
M'ville man -
Vineland Daily Journal - VINELAND
-- A Mill-ville man escaped serious
injury Tuesday when he was thrown from
the motorcycle he was operating after it
collided with a car on Delsea Drive,
police said.
Hebert Pitts III was driving a 1996
Yamaha motorcycle on South Delsea Drive
about 2:30 p.m. when he apparently tried
to pass to the left of a car that was
turning into Vann Dodge Chrysler Jeep,
police said.
The car struck the motorcycle, and Pitts
was thrown about 15 feet into a
landscaped area near the dealership,
said Vineland police Officer Baron McCoy
of the Traffic Safety Unit.
Pitts, 38, was airlifted to Cooper
University Hospital in Camden as a
precaution, because rescue personnel
thought he might have a punctured lung,
McCoy said.
Pitts was to be released from the
hospital Tuesday evening, according to
McCoy.
The driver of the car, 61-year-old John
Machina of Paulsboro, is a salesman at
the dealership, and the vehicle, a 2009
Chrysler 300, belonged to Vann Dodge,
according to McCoy.
Machina was not injured. The vehicle
sustained only minor damage.
Police cited Pitts for driving with a
suspended license and driving without
proof of insurance.
Sheldon man injured in motorcycle
crash - News-Leader.com -
A Sheldon man was seriously injured
Tuesday morning in Vernon County when
his motorcycle collided with a car, the
Missouri Highway Patrol said.
The accident happened on Route DD, four
miles northeast of Sheldon, when a 1979
Suzuki motorcycle ridden by Clinton
Fowler, 70, of Sheldon and a 1992 Buick
driven by Tucker Ewing, 18, of Nevada
collided, the patrol report said.
The report did not give further details
on how the accident happened.
Fowler suffered serious injuries and was
flown to Freeman West hospital in
Joplin, the patrol said. He reportedly
was wearing a helmet.
Motorcycle crash victims remain
in intensive care -
Laconia Citizen -
The driver of a motorcycle and his
passenger injured in a Saturday
afternoon accident in New Hampton remain
in the Intensive Care Unit at
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center,
according to police.
Tyler Howie of Meredith was the operator
of the late model Honda motorcycle that
collided with a car on Route 132,
authorities report. His passenger was
identified as Michaela Rice of Laconia.
Police identified the driver of the 2007
Chevy Malibu sedan as Norma Edgecomb, of
Hooksett. She was uninjured.
The cause of the accident remains under
investigation and the Belknap County
Technical Accident Reconstruction Team
has been called in to assist New Hampton
Police.
Edgecomb told bystanders that the
motorcycle crossed the centerline and
ended up in her lane of travel. Police
confirmed Edgecomb was heading south and
the motorcycle was heading north when
the crash occurred in the vicinity of
the Interstate 93 overpasses on Route
132.
Man dies of injuries from wreck -
Helena Independent
Record - A 38-year-old Nevada man
has died following a motorcycle wreck at
the intersection of Lake Helena Drive
and Highway 12 on Monday night.
Lance Edward Beckert died of traumatic
head and chest injuries at 8:17 a.m.
Tuesday morning at St. Peter’s Hospital,
according to Lewis and Clark County
Coroner Mickey Nelson.
Beckert was struck by a 1998 Ford
Windstar minivan being driven by
Shaleeanne Simpkins, 18, of East Helena.
Simpkins pulled out onto Highway 12 into
the path of Beckert’s 2006 Harley
Davidson, according to Montana Highway
Patrol Sgt. Mike Swingley.
The collision knocked Beckert, who was
wearing a helmet, off his westbound
motorcycle, Swingley said.
Simpkins and her two passengers, both
19-year-old men, were all wearing
seatbelts and were not injured, he said.
Several witnesses reported the wreck,
which occurred at about 9:40 p.m.
Alcohol and speed are not suspected as
factors in the crash, Swingley said.
Simpkins will receive a citation for
failure to yield and possibly other
charges pending an investigation, he
said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters benefits from
bikers - Times
Herald-Record - New Windsor — A
group of Orange County kids has more
money for cultural and educational
events and other activities, thanks to
54 motorcycle riders and two sponsors
who teamed together to raise money for
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange
County.
The second Ride for a Child's Hope, held
June 7, sponsored by K. Hovnanian Homes
and V-Force Customs, raised close to
$2,000 for the local Big Brothers Big
Sisters chapter. The contributions will
help the organization achieve its
mission of bringing hope to children
through professionally supported, caring
adult mentors.
The motorcycle ride left V-Force Customs
in Rock Tavern and cruised for about two
hours through the picturesque Orange
County countryside. It ended when the
bikers roared up International Drive
past Stewart International Airport,
turned and traveled as a pack up
Hawthorne Drive to the clubhouse at K.
Hovnanian's Grove at New Windsor. Bikers
were greeted by the smell of hamburgers
and hot dogs already on the grill.
John Rucando of Bayonne, N.J., won the
$155 50/50 prize, and in turn handed the
money to Nancy Kosloski, executive
director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Orange County. Matt Sprung of Randolph,
N.J., won a $100 gift certificate to
V-Force. He in turn auctioned off the
certificate for $50 and donated the
funds to the organization.
"The K. Hovnanian family at the Grove at
New Windsor and the V-Force family have
opened their arms and really helped to
support our organization," said
Kosloski. "We are truly dependent on the
local community to make things happen.
I'm thrilled to be here."
Vinnie and Cody also thanked the bikers
for participating in the event. "You pay
a little money, go on a nice cruise and
really make a difference," Vinnie said.
Organizers say they haven't set a date
for 2010 yet, but expect it to be in
early summer.
Motorcyclist dies in Fairview wreck
- Asheville
Citizen-Times - FAIRVIEW — A man
died Monday after he was thrown from his
motorcycle as he tried to avoid a truck.
Duff Stephen Moore, 46, of Fairview, was
riding on Cane Creek Road about 8 a.m.
when a truck pulled out in front of him
from Sharon Road, N.C. Highway Patrol
Trooper J.A. Repasky said.
Moore hit his brakes, causing the
motorcycle to turn over, Repasky said.
He was airlifted to Mission Hospital,
where he pronounced dead.
The accident remains under investigation
and no charges have been filed, Repasky
said.
Fulton man remains hospitalized after
accident - Quad
City Times - A Fulton, Ill., man
remained hospitalized Tuesday after he
was injured in a motorcycle accident
Monday afternoon near Morrison.
Robert Edmunds, 60, was eastbound on
Nelson road near Creamery Road at 2:48
p.m. Monday when he failed to negotiate
a turn in the road, entered the south
ditch and was ejected from his
motorcycle, according to the Whiteside
County Sheriff's Department.
He was taken by helicopter to Illini
Hospital in Silvis, then transferred to
OSF St. Francis Medical Center in
Peoria, where he was in good condition
Tuesday afternoon.
The accident remains under
investigation.
Motorcycle crash kills two in
York Township -
York Daily Record - A man and a
woman died after the motorcycle they
were riding collided with a sport
utility vehicle Monday night in York
Township, according to police.
Penny Hess, 44, of North Carolina and
Robert Leber, 44, of Dunkard Valley Road
in Springfield Township died early
Tuesday morning at York Hospital from
injuries sustained in the crash,
according to the York County Coroner's
Office. Hess is originally from
Dallastown, according to the coroner's
office.
The crash occurred at 9:52 p.m. at Iron
Stone Hill and Hess Farm roads, said
Sgt. Rod Varner of York Area Regional
Police.
The motorcycle, a 2003 Harley-Davidson,
collided with a 2002 Ford Explorer
driven by Steve Foote, 29, of Red Lion,
police said. No further details of how
the crash happened were released because
it is still under investigation, police
said.
Hess and Leber were not wearing helmets,
according to the coroner's office.
Jim Newberry of Florida said Tuesday he
had known Hess for more than a decade
and had met her through his friend,
Steve Hill, who was Hess' boyfriend.
Newberry said Hess and Hill lived in
Asheville, NC.
"She was a very caring, loving person,"
Newberry said of Hess. Newberry said
Hess was a traveling physical therapist,
but when she was home, would design arts
and crafts, including quilts, in a
studio in her basement.
Hess' family could not be reached for
comment Tuesday.
Richard E. Leber Jr., who has been
confined to a wheelchair since 1991,
said Robert Leber, his
Advertisement
brother, was devoted to helping him.
"He was always there for me. He was my
best friend," Richard Leber said.
Motorcyclist hurt near Westernport -
Cumberland
Times-News - WESTERNPORT —
Michael Scott Lyons, 38, of Westernport
was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon
when he lost control of his motorcycle
on state Route 135 east of Westernport,
according to the Allegany County Bureau
of Police.
Lyons lost control of the motorcycle and
struck a guardrail, police said.
He was flown to Cumberland Memorial
Hospital by Maryland State Police
medevac helicopter.
Tri-Towns Rescue Squad and Piedmont and
Westernport volunteer fire units also
responded to the 3:59 p.m. mishap.
FHP investigates Lake Butler bike crash!
- Justice News
Flash - A Jacksonville area
motorcyclist was left in serious
condition when he was hit by an
automobile on June 22, 2009, in front of
the Union County Fire and Rescue
building in Lake Butler, as reported by
the Bradford County Telegraph. The
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/
identified the seriously injured
motorcyclist as Mark A. Dougherty, 53,
of Jacksonville. FHP reports indicate
Dougherty was traveling southbound on
S.R. 121, while riding on his 2004
Harley Davidson motorcycle, when a 2006
Acura pulled out in front of the biker.
The driver of the Acura, Angelia D.
Henderson, 45, of Lake City, was
reportedly turning onto S.R. 121 from
S.E. 6th Ave, when she struck the
traveling motorcyclist. FHP reports
state the Harley Davison motorcycle
slammed into the right side of the car,
which caused Dougherty to be thrown off
his motorcycle and onto the street.
Luckily for the victims, help was on the
scene of the accident within seconds.
The motor vehicle collision (MVC)
occurred directly in front of the Union
County Fire and Rescue building. Union
County paramedics treated Dougherty at
the scene, and then transported him by
ShandsCare emergency medical helicopter
to Shands Hospital in Gainesville for
further treatment of his critical
injuries. FHP also states, Doughtery was
wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time
of the crash. The Acura’s estimated
damages reached an upwards of $10,000;
the motorcycle was a total loss. Charges
are pending against Henderson, who was
reportedly not injured in the collision.
Girl Killed, Man Recovering From
Motorcycle Crash -
WLWT - A man
was injured and his granddaughter was
killed Monday afternoon in a Clinton
County motorcycle crash.
A trooper said a pickup towing a camper
pulled out in front of the motorcycle
just after noon near the intersection of
Ohio highway 22 and George Road.
William Glass, 63, suffered a broken
femur and injuries to his pelvis and was
taken to University Hospital, where he
underwent surgery Tuesday and was listed
in fair condition.
Troopers said 11-year-old Mikeala Little
suffered serious injuries and died at
Children's Hospital.
"My father-in-law tried to lay the bike
down, and it was just too close," said
Mikeala's father, Dan Pence. "They slid
right into the axel of the trailer and
she didn't make it."
The pickup driver, 63-year-old Garold
Schudel, was not injured.
Both Glass and Little were wearing
helmets, and the crash remains under
investigation.
A memorial fund has been set up at
Fifth-Third Bank to help Little's family
cover funeral expenses, and donations
may be made to the Mikeala Little
Memorial Funeral Fund.
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