Prospective Hells Angels 'offered violence on barbaric scale' in Blindley Heath club attack, court hears
Seven prospective Hells Angels have been accused of carrying out a "lightning fast assault" on a rival group at the Forman Institute as part of a "turf war"
A gang of prospective Hells Angels turned an east Surrey social club into a scene of "bloody carnage" in an attack on a rival biker group, a court heard on Tuesday (June 11).
Seven members of the Vikings Motorcycle Club and their supporters, the Wargs Brotherhood, were stabbed and beaten in a "barbaric" attack on their clubhouse behind the Forman Institute in Blindley Heath (link is external) on November 7 2018. Six required hospital treatment.
"Those seven men suffered extremely serious injuries," prosecutor Richard Hearnden told a jury at Kingston Crown Court (link is external), "Violent disorder was offered on a barbaric scale. Weapons such as knives, coshes, batons, industrial cable even, were used against them.
"The scene was one of bloody carnage.”
The attack, Mr Hearnden said on the opening day of the trial (link is external) of seven men accused of involvement in the violence, was part of a "turf war" between the two groups and carried out by members of a Hells Angels chapter based in Slough and an affiliated club, the Red Devils.
The seven men - Przemyslaw Korkus, Jimi Kidd, Bartosz Plesniak, Ladislav Szalay, Tamas Tomacsek, Piotr Zamijewski and David Jacobs - are said to be Hells Angels or Red Devils "prospects", prospective members of the motorcycle clubs.
“As prospects they must demonstrate devotion and loyalty to their clubs,” Mr Hearnden said, “What better way for a prospect to show unswerving loyalty to their club than a mission to intimidate a rival club with extreme violence?”
All seven defendants have pleaded not guilty to offences including GBH with intent, violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.
Police officers in Eastbourne Road, Blindley Heath after the attack on the Forman Institute (Image: Louis Jose)
Mr Hearnden went on to describe to the jury a "lightning fast assault" on the men in the clubhouse, who had gathered for a club meeting and were "outnumbered, outgunned and caught by surprise".
The first victim was the youngest, Reece Hobbs, who had been a member of the Vikings for 14 months and had left the clubhouse to retrieve a jacket from another member's car.
"His attention was drawn to the road by the sound of someone kicking a stone," Mr Hearnden said, "As he looked at the road he saw five or six men.
"They were all dressed in dark, hooded tops and wore trousers. All of them were wearing balaclavas or had their faces covered. Evey single one of these men was holding a weapon of some sort in their hands."
Mr Hobbs was charged by one of the men, and initially believed he had simply been knocked over until he felt something "warm and wet" and realised he had been stabbed. He fell to the floor and the group of men began beating him around the head and arms.
Eventually, he was able to stagger to get up and stagger to the clubhouse, pursued by his assailants, and was stabbed again as he opened the door.
At one point, one of the attackers is said to have called out "Bear can get stabbed," referring to one of the Vikings' senior members, Glyn Alexander, whose nickname is Bear.
"Clearly, the other gang knew who they were targeting," Mr Hearnden said, "This was not random."
When the attackers fled, they left behind a scene "like a massacre", according to one witness whose call to 999 was played to the jury.
In footage recorded by police bodyworn cameras and played to the jury, officers give first aid to the wounded bikers, including a stricken Reece Hobbs, who was left lying on his side and at one point asked: "Am I going to die?"
Later, Mr Hearnden explained, police recovered a blood-stained, heavy duty cable which DNA analysis linked to one of the defendants, Mr Plesniak, while a black nitrile glove found in the same area had traces of Mr Korkus' DNA. Both items also had blood from at least one of the victims, as did the clothes Mr Korkus was wearing when police arrested him the next day.
The prosecutor added that CCTV footage linked cars driven by Mr Korkus, Mr Plesniak, Mr Kidd and Mr Tomacsek to the scene. The four vehicles were seen driving away from the Forman Institute by cameras fitted to police cars responding to reports of the attack.
A gang of prospective Hells Angels turned an east Surrey social club into a scene of "bloody carnage" in an attack on a rival biker group, a court heard on Tuesday (June 11).
Seven members of the Vikings Motorcycle Club and their supporters, the Wargs Brotherhood, were stabbed and beaten in a "barbaric" attack on their clubhouse behind the Forman Institute in Blindley Heath (link is external) on November 7 2018. Six required hospital treatment.
"Those seven men suffered extremely serious injuries," prosecutor Richard Hearnden told a jury at Kingston Crown Court (link is external), "Violent disorder was offered on a barbaric scale. Weapons such as knives, coshes, batons, industrial cable even, were used against them.
"The scene was one of bloody carnage.”
The attack, Mr Hearnden said on the opening day of the trial (link is external) of seven men accused of involvement in the violence, was part of a "turf war" between the two groups and carried out by members of a Hells Angels chapter based in Slough and an affiliated club, the Red Devils.
The seven men - Przemyslaw Korkus, Jimi Kidd, Bartosz Plesniak, Ladislav Szalay, Tamas Tomacsek, Piotr Zamijewski and David Jacobs - are said to be Hells Angels or Red Devils "prospects", prospective members of the motorcycle clubs.
“As prospects they must demonstrate devotion and loyalty to their clubs,” Mr Hearnden said, “What better way for a prospect to show unswerving loyalty to their club than a mission to intimidate a rival club with extreme violence?”
All seven defendants have pleaded not guilty to offences including GBH with intent, violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.
Victims 'outnumbered, outgunned and caught by surprise'
Mr Hearnden went on to describe to the jury a "lightning fast assault" on the men in the clubhouse, who had gathered for a club meeting and were "outnumbered, outgunned and caught by surprise".
The first victim was the youngest, Reece Hobbs, who had been a member of the Vikings for 14 months and had left the clubhouse to retrieve a jacket from another member's car.
"His attention was drawn to the road by the sound of someone kicking a stone," Mr Hearnden said, "As he looked at the road he saw five or six men.
"They were all dressed in dark, hooded tops and wore trousers. All of them were wearing balaclavas or had their faces covered. Evey single one of these men was holding a weapon of some sort in their hands."
Mr Hobbs was charged by one of the men, and initially believed he had simply been knocked over until he felt something "warm and wet" and realised he had been stabbed. He fell to the floor and the group of men began beating him around the head and arms.
Eventually, he was able to stagger to get up and stagger to the clubhouse, pursued by his assailants, and was stabbed again as he opened the door.
'Am I going to die?'
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The men then burst into the clubhouse and set about its occupants, stabbing another five of them and beating them with blunt instruments in an attack that lasted less than 90 seconds.At one point, one of the attackers is said to have called out "Bear can get stabbed," referring to one of the Vikings' senior members, Glyn Alexander, whose nickname is Bear.
"Clearly, the other gang knew who they were targeting," Mr Hearnden said, "This was not random."
When the attackers fled, they left behind a scene "like a massacre", according to one witness whose call to 999 was played to the jury.
In footage recorded by police bodyworn cameras and played to the jury, officers give first aid to the wounded bikers, including a stricken Reece Hobbs, who was left lying on his side and at one point asked: "Am I going to die?"
Later, Mr Hearnden explained, police recovered a blood-stained, heavy duty cable which DNA analysis linked to one of the defendants, Mr Plesniak, while a black nitrile glove found in the same area had traces of Mr Korkus' DNA. Both items also had blood from at least one of the victims, as did the clothes Mr Korkus was wearing when police arrested him the next day.
The prosecutor added that CCTV footage linked cars driven by Mr Korkus, Mr Plesniak, Mr Kidd and Mr Tomacsek to the scene. The four vehicles were seen driving away from the Forman Institute by cameras fitted to police cars responding to reports of the attack.
'Strained relationship' between motorcycle clubs
Mr Hearnden also told the jury that a meeting between members of the Wargs and the Hells Angels could hint at part of the motive for the attack.
On November 1, a week before the attack, Mr Kidd and Mr Jacobs went with some other Hells Angels to meet two members of the Wargs at Cobham Services.
CCTV captured the meeting and while there is no recording of what was discussed, Mr Hearnden said, a message found on Mr Kidd's phone suggested that the Hells Angels were trying to persuade the Wargs to leave the Vikings.
He said: "We say relations were stating to strain. There had been a recent increase in Hells Angels members in Surrey and a new chapter had recently been created, so it seems likely that the purpose of the meeting was to propose that the Wargs leave the Vikings and join the Hells Angels."
The message from Mr Kidd read: "I know you guys are having your meeting at your clubhouse. Hopefully you guys make the right choice for the Wargs - not for blue and white [Vikings colours], but red and white [Hells Angels colours]."
"By the time the men were parting," Mr Hearnden said, "everything seemed to be very amicable. There was certainly no hint of animosity.
Something must have happened, some sort of information has been shared that made things very different by November 7."
The trial continues.
United Kingdom - BNN.
On November 1, a week before the attack, Mr Kidd and Mr Jacobs went with some other Hells Angels to meet two members of the Wargs at Cobham Services.
CCTV captured the meeting and while there is no recording of what was discussed, Mr Hearnden said, a message found on Mr Kidd's phone suggested that the Hells Angels were trying to persuade the Wargs to leave the Vikings.
He said: "We say relations were stating to strain. There had been a recent increase in Hells Angels members in Surrey and a new chapter had recently been created, so it seems likely that the purpose of the meeting was to propose that the Wargs leave the Vikings and join the Hells Angels."
The message from Mr Kidd read: "I know you guys are having your meeting at your clubhouse. Hopefully you guys make the right choice for the Wargs - not for blue and white [Vikings colours], but red and white [Hells Angels colours]."
"By the time the men were parting," Mr Hearnden said, "everything seemed to be very amicable. There was certainly no hint of animosity.
Something must have happened, some sort of information has been shared that made things very different by November 7."
The trial continues.
United Kingdom - BNN.
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