Prison phone conversations were released in court today to provide evidence that former bikie gang leader Vince Focarelli had breached his ...
Prison phone conversations were released in court today to provide evidence that former bikie gang leader Vince Focarelli had breached his bail conditions. Police alleged Focarelli breached the conditions 11 times by having phone conversations with an outlaw Michael Sfyris. According to court documents, Sfyris and Focarelli used prison phones to declare their brotherly love, preach Islam and plot rebuilding the New Boys gang. The calls were made while Sfyris was in jail and was before Focarelli's son Giovanni died. Earlier this year, Focarelli told Sfyris he was "always there" for him. Sfyris replied: "Hey brother, you know what you've given me because I lost faith in mankind. "I had lost the ability to love my brothers, you know? "You've given me that ability back, do you know what I mean?" They discussed the recruitment of Newboys to make it a stronger gang and talked about their devotion to Islam. "I'll tell you something now, no one is stepping one foot into this brotherhood without having any intentions of converting to Islam," Focarelli said. The phone calls give an insight into a period when the Newboys patched over to the Comancheros, known as the Comos. Conversations suggest they once had a relationship with former national boss Mahmoud Hawi who's in jail for murder over the Sydney Airport brawl. The phone calls are being used as evidence against Focarelli in a breach of bail charges. Today Sfyris was fined $3000 for possessing a controlled drug. A trial on the issue will continue next month with Focarelli remaining in custody in the meantime. Focarelli drug charges Vince Focarelli will argue next week that he has no case to answer on drug charges. It has been alleged that police found a bottle of drugs in the car the 37-year-old was driving when he flagged down a patrol in January on the night he and his son were shot. Giovanni Focarelli, 22, died in the attack while Focarelli was hospitalised for several weeks with serious wounds. On Friday the court was told it was likely a second person would be charged over the drugs. But Magistrate Robert Harrap said Focarelli was entitled to present his no-case submissions. Mr Harrap set the matter down for June 1.
