A ROCK Machine bikie and a tattooist have been found guilty of extorting $2000 from two young men they claimed were boasting about having links with the outlaw motorcycle gxxg.
Sergeant-at-arms Brent James Reker, 26, and Kyle Adam Barry, 28, were today convicted in Perth District Court of two counts of demanding property with oral threats.
The accused pair called Andrew Clark, 21, and Luke Santich, 19, to Spearwood tattoo parlour Lost City last August where they were met by four heavily tattooed men.
In giving evidence earlier this week, Mr Clark claimed it was there an ultimatum was delivered to pay them $2000 or bash Adrian Seclier, the person they said was responsible for spreading rumours of their involvement with the bikie gxxg.
Santich was a regular customer at Lost City - where Barry worked - and he had been invited to train at the Rock Machine’s gym in Kardinya.
But his friend Mr Clark told the trial Mr Santich had never told him about his involvement with the Rock Machine and would only say he was going to the gym.
He said he never trained with him at the gym and had no knowledge of him ever going there.
“I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t have a clue about the Rock Machine,” Mr Clark told the court.
Mr Clark said Mr Santich told him he had to go to Lost City to speak to Kyle ( Barry) and “sort it out”.
“I shook his (Kyle Barry’s) hand and thought that was the end of it,” Mr Clarke said.
But later that day he said they were summonsed back to the parlour and were told to go out the back by a man (Mr Reker) he described as big, scary and bald with tattoos on the side of his head.
He said he was told to pay $2000 or bash his friend Adrian Seclier and that Mr Reker told him “I would be killed if I went to the police”.
“We went around the back of the shop and he (Reker) said we had been saying stuff about them, using their name. I was scared shi*****,” Mr Clark said.
“I said I didn’t know any Rock Machine and I was worrying I shouldn’t be involved in any of this.”
Mr Clark testified he had never met Mr Reker before the meeting and had never had any previous contact with him.
“I thought if I did not pay the $2000 there would be repercussions and I would be beaten up,” Mr Clark told the court.
However, Mr Clark said the money was never paid because his mother reported the matter to police.
Judge Simon Stone remanded Reker and Barry into custody for sentencing in November.
Outside court, Reker’s lawyer Malcolm Ayoub said his client accepted the jury’s verdict.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/rock-machine-sergeant-at-arms-brent-reker-guilty-of-extortion/story-e6frg143-1226139241312
