Finks Motorcycle Club

Finks Motorcycle Club
Motto Attitude Violence
Founded 1969
Location Sydney--Adelaide 1973-4
Key people Aidan Stratford
Type Outlaw motorcycle club
Region Australia

The Finks is an Australian outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Adelaide Australia, in 1969[1][2][3] and now also has chapters in other states. The name comes from The Wizard of Id cartoon where the peasants, to his dismay, often proclaim, "The King is a fink!". The logo used by the Finks is of Bung, the king's jester. The pants worn by the jester differ in colour depending on the state the chapter resides in.


The club was restricted by government actions in South Australia.[4][5][6][7] Despite rivalries, various other groups joined together to protest the South Australian government's proposed restrictions.[8]

It was reported in October 2013 that most members were to switch to the United States-based Mongols Motorcycle Club.[9]

Perth chapter

The Perth chapter of the Finks were formed after Troy Mercanti was expelled from the Coffin Cheaters and joined his friend and South Australian Fink member Frank Condo in forming the Perth chapter in 2008. Other eastern states members came to Perth to start the chapter, but over time all, including Condo, either left the club or returned to their original states. The commencement of the Perth chapter caused friction between the Finks and the Coffin Cheaters Perth, culminating in a violent brawl at the Perth Motorplex in October 2010.[10]

The Perth Finks clubhouse has been frozen under the proceeds of crime after Mercanti’s then partner Tammy Kingdon was convicted by a District Court jury in November 2010 of four counts of stealing and one count of property laundering. Kingdon funnelled money from a Coffin Cheaters trust fund set up for the daughters of Marc Chabriere, who was a Coffin Cheaters member murdered during the 1998 bikie war between the Coffin Cheaters and the Club Deroes. The stolen money from the fund was used to purchase the Finks clubhouse.[11]

During the Motorplex brawl Fink member Stephen Wallace had three fingers severed by a knife, and Fink member David Marrapodi suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.[12] Following the Motorplex incident an Australian Crime Commission hearing was held calling both members of the Finks and the Coffin Cheaters. As a result of the hearings convictions for contempt were recorded in late 2010 against Finks members Clovis Chikonga, Troy Smith, Stephen Laurence Silvestro, Tristan Roger Allbeury, and Stephen Wallace. All were imprisoned for two years despite pleas from their lawyer who claimed the likes of Allbeury were bipolar, had ADHD and suffered post-traumatic stress.[13][14]

Wallace is the long term boyfriend of fellow convicted heroin trafficker Holly Deane-Johns, who served time in WA before arrest in Thailand in 2000 for trying to mail 10.4 grams of heroin to Perth. She was jailed in 2003 for 31 years before her prisoner transfer deal in 2007.[15]

Allbeury is currently held on remand after being charged by Gang Crime Squad Detectives with Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice. Allbeury is also charged with Grievous Bodily Harm over a prison assault that broke a fellow inmates jaw. In September 2012, whilst in prison, Allbeury was found with a smart phone and cannabis in his cell.[16]

Mercanti was arrested in January 2012 by the Gang Crime Squad and jailed in March 2013 for 6 years and 10 months after pleading guilty late in his trial to domestic violence charges against his former partner Tammy Kingdon. Increasing drug and alcohol use were blamed for the 15 years of abuse.[17] During the trial Kingdon was examined about drug use and about sex between her, Mercanti and fellow Fink member Josh Luke Rider and his partner Justine Rider.[18] Josh Rider was imprisoned after being charged by the Gang Crime Squad, in early 2013, with minor drug offences and having a loaded handgun concealed inside his motor bike. After Rider's release he was again charged and imprisoned on new firearms, driving and minor drug charges.

In October 2013 the Perth Finks were patched over by the Mongols MC.

Eastern states chapters

In 2012, Finks member Mark James Graham was charged with the attempted murder of Bandidos member Jacques Teamo in a shooting at the Robina Town Centre shopping centre.[19]

In 2012, Patrick Mcmillan was arrested and charged with firing a pistol at a man, and intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury to him at his Ferntree Gully home he shared with his girlfriend Rachel Osborn, theft, trespass, drug and weapon possession, dealing with proceeds of crime and traffic offences.[20][21]

References

  1. ↑ Minear, Tom (10 September 2012). "The Finks outlaw motorcycle gang plan to expand their operations in Victoria". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Russell Emmerson (14 May 2009), "It's official - the Finks are pioneer outlaws", Australasian Business Intelligence (via HighBeam Research)
  3. ↑ Mounster, Bruce (31 May 2012). "Guns, drugs and bikies". The Mercury. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Finks face clampdown. (16 December 2008). In Australasian Business Intelligence.Byline: Russell Emmerson 16 Dec 2008 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson will soon rule on whether a controversial new Serious and Organ ...
  5. ↑ "We're a club of grandpas, claim Finks" Appears In 'Australasian Business Intelligence' Byline: Sean Fewster 29 Jan 2009 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has received a letter from the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang. The me ...
  6. ↑ "Premier: They're not gentle dads, grandpas - Finks bikies really 'heinous thugs'" Appears In: Australasian Business Intelligence Byline: Michael Owen 3 Feb 2009 (The Advertiser - ABIX via COMTEX) - South Australian (SA) Premier Mike Rann has responded to claims by lawyer Craig Caldicott that the Finks outlaw motorc ...
  7. ↑ Shand, Adam (2008-06). "Club Rules: The Phoney War on Bikie Gangs". In The Monthly. (June 2008), 34-40.
  8. ↑ Larkin, Steve (14 March 2009). "Bikie gangs unite and bury rivalries". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Wuth, Ruby (2 October 2013). "Finks set to patch over to Mongols". Goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  10. ↑ "Finks bikie members in brawl at the Perth Motorplex". Watoday.com.au. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  11. ↑ Campbell, Kate (28 March 2012). "Tammy Kingdon loses appeal against stealing conviction". West Australian. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  12. ↑ Styles, Aja (24 November 2010). "Finks charged with contempt over Motorplex brawl". WAtoday. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  13. ↑ Cordingley, Glenn (21 January 2011). "Uncooperative bikies remanded in custody". PerthNow. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  14. ↑ Raphael, Angie (21 January 2011). "Lawyer makes emotional plea for bikies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  15. ↑ Cowan, Sean (28 March 2012). "Finks link to trafficker saved from Thai jail conviction". West Australian. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  16. ↑ Eliot, Luke (21 September 2012). "Probe into contraband in Finks bikie's cell". The West.com.au. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  17. ↑ Spooner, Rania (13 March 2013). "mercanti jailed for almost seven years". WAToday. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  18. ↑ Raphael, Angie (27 February 2013). "Troy Mercanti trial hears of orgy, drugs, abuse of Tammy Kingdon". Perth Now. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  19. ↑ "Fink Graham held over Robina shooting Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia". goldcoast.com.au. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ "'Psycho bikie' gave getaway backhanders, court hears". The Age (Melbourne).
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