Comancheros bikie jailed for at least three years after stabbing man in front of daughter

A bikie who stabbed a father in front of his terrified young daughter in Adelaide's north has been sentenced to at least three years in jail.

Raymond Patrick Harley Jones was convicted of aggravated causing harm with intent to cause harm when he failed to show up to the last day of his trial in October 2016.

The 30-year-old was on the run from police for two months before he was arrested in December last year. South Australia's District Court today heard Jones launched an unprovoked attack on a man outside a house in Blakeview in February 2015, in what Judge Geraldine Davison described as "fortuitous violence".

"There was no justification for your behaviour whatsoever on this day," she said.

The court heard when Jones and another man turned up at the house, someone yelled "the Commies are here", in reference to Jones's association with the Comanchero Motorcycle Club.

Victim stabbed while trying to flee with daughter

The owner of the home ran out the back of the house and on to the roof where he called police. The court heard the victim, who was inside the home, picked up his seven-year-old daughter and tried to escape, but was stabbed as he attempted to leave in his car.
"The victim was so frightened and concerned for his daughter that he drove off without realising he had been stabbed until he saw blood everywhere," Judge Davison said.

Judge Davison said the attack had changed the victim's life forever.

"He is haunted by the terror and fear of his daughter as she was screaming at him in the car," she said.

"He said he was so focused on trying to calm her down and reassure her that everything was going to be OK that he didn't even feel the knife at first."

The court heard Jones, who has five children, had an extensive criminal history and had not shown any remorse over the stabbing. Judge Davison said she did not accept submissions from Jones's lawyer that he was no longer a member of the Comancheros.

She said his step-father, who died while Jones was in custody, had been a member of the Gypsy Jokers.
"You were surrounded by that culture from a very early age and it was submitted that it is not surprising that you turned then to a life of an outlaw motorcycle gang member yourself," Judge Davison said.

She sentenced him to five-and-a-half years in jail with a non-parole period of three years.


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