Shane Bowden’s ‘shitty life’ ends in ‘execution’, marking a change in the way motorcycle gangs operate, says criminology professor

The murder of notorious ex-cyclist Shane Bowden, who police say was shot “execution style” in his car parked outside his Gold Coast home, could mark a turning point in the way motorcycle gangs operate. out of the law.

According to police, Bowden had come home from the gym shortly after midnight Monday morning, when he was ambushed by “at least two men” outside his home in Pimpama, on the northern Gold Coast.

Police said her partner and two children were at home at the time of the attack, and two burned-out cars found elsewhere on the Gold Coast were part of the ongoing investigation.

Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said Bowden had received multiple “execution-style” shots, and that his death was a reminder that “if you live by the sword, die by the sword.”

According to criminology professor Mark Lauchs, that kind of death is generally reserved for cyclists involved in organized crime, which Bowden was not.

“Normally when there is an execution style attack like Mick Hawi … he tends to be involved with organized crime … Bowden has no history with that. His only drug offense is pretty minor, and it’s much more. of a violent person, “Lauchs said.

“If he is associated with the club, it could be a change in the way the clubs operate, which are increasing their violence. We have also seen abuses in the last year.

“With a drive-by, you don’t know if you’re going to kill someone. Bowden was shot in a drive-by earlier this year, potentially someone who was finishing the job.

“The internal conflict in the club tends to be caused by those who do not move in the car … They are not designed to kill you, but to scare you.

“We may never know exactly why Bowden was murdered, but there doesn’t seem to be any long-term association (with organized crime) … He has spent so much time in prison that he hasn’t had a chance.”

The Mongols have recently elected a new president who, according to Lauchs, could mark a transition in the way the gang operates.

Reports have emerged that Bowden wanted to reassert his power after his release from prison earlier this year, and Lauchs said it was possible that his death was a response to his lack of silence.

“The Mongols have a new hierarchy … But we may not find out the real reason for a while,” he said.

“Things go slowly in this world … It is a secret world.”

Lauchs said that despite strict laws introduced in 2013, the motorcycle gangs “had not stopped fighting at all,” but Bowden’s death is unlikely to trigger a larger battle.

“It seems this was something that followed … It seems the Mongols have calmed down,” Lauchs said.

“If there is going to be any flow effects, it will be in Melbourne.

“He could have been trying to get away from it all.”

A TRAGIC LIFE

A key member of Finks “Terror Gang” before changing his patch to Mongols, Bowden has lived what Lauchs calls a “shitty life.”

In a 2015 ruling, the court heard that Bowden was born to biological parents who were 12 years old at the time of his birth and was adopted by a family with siblings much older than him.

Bowden struggled with the school and left early, achieving literacy only up to the fourth grade level.

He attended the Australian Institute of Sport where he excelled at cycling. Encouraged by his adoptive parents, he turned to the sport and hoped to represent Australia at the 1996 Olympics.

Despite repeated success, Bowden suffered from exhaustion and gave the sport away.

He turned to bodybuilding and began to frequent gyms, where he met members of motorcycle clubs, which made him a member of Finks.

Bowden spent at least 13 years between 2000 and 2015 in custody, for a variety of crimes including felony assault, drug-related offenses, and the equivalent of an aggravated burglary.

Bowden was evaluated by a neuropsychologist, Dr. Robert Burke, and clinical psychologist Carla Lachner. Burke investigated the possibility of an acquired brain injury and could not rule it out. She was diagnosed with extreme depression and impaired cognitive function.

Bowden’s first criminal stamp was in July 1996, when he was found with stolen property in his possession. He was convicted and fined AU $ 800. In February 1997, Bowden assaulted a woman, was found guilty of aggravated assault, fined, and sentenced to pay compensation.

In 1997, an undercover police operation was carried out in Bowden, where he was found trafficking cocaine with a total amount of 23,409 pure grams. He was convicted of 21 crimes, including some that he had committed while on bail, and was sentenced to a total of eight years.

In 2005, he was convicted of assaulting a customer outside a Gold Coast nightclub. He was given a suspended sentence of nine months and ordered to pay an award of AU $ 12,500.

He is best known for his participation in the 2006 Ballroom Blitz, when members of Finks attacked former member Chris Hudson, who had joined the Hells Angels. At least eight Finks were sent to punish Hudson for leaving the club.

Lauchs said the group “were supposed to remove Finks’ Hudson tattoo from his back with acid and a paint scraper.”

Bowden shot Hudson twice during hand-to-hand combat.

Bowden turned himself in to police a month later and was charged with the attempted murder of Hudson, which resulted in a 6.5-year sentence for assault that caused bodily harm and resulted in the list of serious violent offenders.

Most of the Finks patched up the Mongols before harsh VLAD laws were introduced in Queensland in 2013. The laws, introduced under the Newman government, were designed to crack down on criminal cycling activity. Bowden, like many others, left the state to seek refuge in Melbourne.

In 2015, Bowden and his then-girlfriend were convicted of burglary after the couple broke into a Melbourne apartment, armed with a Bowie knife and crowbar. He demanded money from the two men and women inside. Bowden assaulted one of the men before a fight broke out and stabbed them both.

He was sentenced to prison and, while there, he was found with a “racy photograph” of a prison guard.

He was released from prison in July 2020, where he was greeted by high-ranking Mongols, including new President Toby Mitchell, who accompanied him back to Melbourne in a limousine.

Fifteen days after his release, he was shot in an attack from a vehicle. Bowden was injured while talking to two men outside a house on Young St in Epping. Police said the shots were fired from a car, hitting Bowden in the lower torso.

Bowden was then expelled from the Mongols and appears to have been targeted as part of “internal club politics,” Lauchs said.

Sources said the attack was staged to “silence” Bowden and “put him in his place” by opposing gang members.

“He had been trying to regain his power after getting out of prison. While he was in prison, some of his allies were forced to leave the club, including national president Mark ‘Ferret’ Moroney.”

While recovering from his gunshot wounds in a Melbourne hospital, he contracted Covid-19. After recovering, he left for Queensland and sparked a media frenzy when it was initially reported that he had flown while infected.

He was charged with lying on his border declaration pass and appeared before Southport Magistrates Court earlier this month, where he was fined just AU $ 750 after the magistrate sided with him, citing confusion over the form. .

Investigations into Bowden’s death continue.