by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Three full-patched members of the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang have avoided jail over the extortion and robbery of a member wishing to leave the outfit.
Michael Bacalja, 43, of Berwick, Andrew Tonkin, 32, of Keysborough, and Allan Campbell, 30, of Endeavour Hills, pleaded guilty after sentence indications at the Victorian County Court.
Sentencing was deferred for Paul “Romeo” Draper, 40, of Endeavour Hills due to him being booked in for surgery.
Bacalja pleaded guilty to extortion with a threat to inflict injury and being a prohibited person with an imitation gun.
Tonkin and Campbell pled to robbery and common law assault.
The victim had been a fully-patched Finks member and treasurer based at the Cranbourne West club house.
Draper, Tonkin and Campbell barged their way into the victim’s house in Doncaster in July 2021, with Draper demanding the victim’s $60,000 2019 Harley Davidson while he was deciding whether to leave the club.
The victim pleaded for them not to take his bike and Draper assaulted him.
Campbell warned the victim that “if you call the cops, we’ll shoot you” and ordered the victim to write a note authorizing the hand-over of his bike to Draper.
The victim complied and the men rode away with his bike.
A week later, after pleading for his bike’s return, the victim was told to go to Draper’s home in Endeavour Hills.
While waiting outside in his car, Bacalja approached with VicRoads transfer papers in hand.
Inside the house, Draper told the victim that he’d have to pay $15,000 and forfeit his bike to leave the Finks.
If he didn’t sign over the bike, he would be “f***ed”, Draper told him – and the victim duly signed the transfer papers.
When he left, Draper phoned him to say he’d signed the wrong part of the form. If he didn’t come back inside, he’d be “really f***ed”.
An angry Draper punched kicked and kneed him in what the victim said was a “really savage” beating. He was left with red marks, a sore jaw and head for days.
Over several weeks, the victim transferred $11,500 to Draper’s bank account, spurred by several demands from Draper via calls on encrypted app Signal.
In October, Echo Taskforce police raided the accused’s homes as well as the Cranbourne West clubhouse.
At Draper’s home, they seized the bike’s keys and registration plate as well as several steroids.
They seized a gel-blaster gun from the home of Bacalja, who was prohibited to possess an imitation gun.
Bacalja told police that he didn’t realise the gun was illegal. He’d bought it as a toy online, used only in the backyard and not for any other purposes, he said.
The victim declined to make a victim impact statement.
Sentencing judge Sarah Leighfield said Draper – highly ranked as a ‘Nomad’ at the Finks – was the “principal offender” in the robbery of the bike as well as in extorting the victim.
Tonkin and Campbell had lesser roles in the robbery and Bacalja a limited role in the extortion, she said.
Leighfield noted Tonkin and Bacalja had shown remorse and taken full responsibility for their conduct.
Campbell sought to minimalise his actions but considered the treatment inflicted on the victim was undeserved and unjustified, she said.
He’d also paid $10,000 in order to leave the Finks.
Campbell had been dismissed from his trucking job as a result of the charges.
He had no criminal history, but for a fine for wearing a Finks T-shirt in public.
At the time of the offences, he was abusing drugs and alcohol. His severe borderline personality disorder was also noted.
Since moving in with his partner – a kindergarten teacher – Campbell had been sober, cut off ties with negative peers and complied with bail conditions.
Bacalja, a former Navy seaman and miner, had limited criminal history including assault, threats to kill and firearm offences.
He’d been in the Finks only a few months at the time of offending. Though still a member, he had since stepped down as vice-president. He’d not re-offended since.
Tonkin, a bouncer and former marital arts instructor, had no priors and had become a dedicated charity volunteer.
The prosecution submitted for Draper and Bacalja to be jailed, and Campbell and Tonkin given jail and a community corrections order (CCO).
Leighfield said despite the offences being serious, each would receive a CCO – taking into account their mental health issues and signs of rehabilitation.
Campbell’s 30-month CCO included up to 320 hours of unpaid work, supervision and drug, alcohol and mental health treatment.
Bacalja’s CCO of 27 months included up to 280 hours of unpaid work, supervision and treatment. He was ordered not to associate with the Finks for nine months.
Tonkin was sentenced to a 21-month CCO including up to 150 hours of unpaid work and mental health treatment.
Draper was scheduled to be sentenced on 10 April.
