One of Australia's most senior bikies has been arrested at Canberra Hospital after watching his partner give birth, and extradited to NSW where he will be accused of ordering three South Coast shootings.
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A Facebook rant proved instrumental in Micheal Clark, 34, being refused bail when he was hauled before the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday.
During an explosive extradition hearing and bail application, the Canberra man claimed to have quit as the Nomads' national president, but that assertion was rejected by prosecutors.
Magistrate Bernadette Boss also accused Mr Clark's lawyer, Peter Woodhouse, of trying to intimidate her when he questioned whether she had "pre-judged" the outcome of the application.
Mr Clark's court appearance came as police declared the Nomads had been wiped out in the ACT.
It was revealed on Thursday that specialist police units in the ACT and NSW started investigating the activities of Mr Clark in April, after linking him to three 2019 drive-by shootings in the Batemans Bay area.
Investigators swooped on the 34-year-old about 1.30pm on Wednesday, before he had had the chance to hold his newborn son.
Officers also executed search warrants at properties linked to Mr Clark in Kingston and Kambah, allegedly seizing two high-performance cars, a pistol, cash, prohibited drugs, jewellery and outlaw motorcycle gang paraphernalia including patches.
Mr Clark spent the night in custody before appearing in court for an extradition hearing.
The court heard he would be charged in NSW with directing the activities of a criminal group, participating in a criminal group, supplying a prohibited firearm and supplying ammunition.
NSW Police will allege that the 34-year-old ordered the Batemans Bay shootings and provided the guns that were used.
Another 10 people have already been charged with a combined 49 offences over the incidents, while a further three men alleged to be Nomads members were also arrested on Thursday.
Mr Woodhouse tried to persuade Dr Boss to grant Mr Clark bail to allow the man to travel under his own steam to face court in NSW.
He told the court a $50,000 cash surety was on offer to secure the release of Mr Clark, whose partner needed his support after three days in labour and a caesarean birth.
Mr Woodhouse sought to cast doubt on the strength of what he called a circumstantial case.
He also said Mr Clark had a "relatively minor" criminal history and had never failed to answer bail in the past.
The shootings occurred nearly a year ago and there was no evidence, he said, that the 34-year-old had tried to intimidate witnesses or interfere with evidence.
But prosecutor Keegan Lee disagreed and called evidence from Detective Senior Constable Kristel Mathews, who told the court NSW Police had "serious and grave concerns" for the safety of witnesses.
The officer said a number of witnesses had refused to provide statements and the statement of one person who had come forward was found in Mr Clark's possession, indicating that he may have been trying to track them down.
Mr Lee went on to say the charges to be laid in NSW would be "by far the most serious charges Mr Clark has ever faced".
The prosecutor said there was a high chance Mr Clark would be remanded in custody in NSW, which coupled with his desire to spend time with his newborn son gave him a strong incentive not to appear in court if bailed.
He pointed out that Mr Clark had tried to "frustrate justice" by failing to appear in matters as a witness when subpoenaed, and detailed a long history of outlaw motorcycle gang affiliations that dates back to 2008.
Mr Lee also rejected claims that Mr Clark had retired and joined his father Wayne in the ranks of Nomads life members, telling the court Mr Clark was still the bikie gang's national president.
"This is a man who ... has shown his capability to direct others to do his criminal bidding," the prosecutor said.
Dr Boss ultimately refused bail, finding there was a likelihood that Mr Clark would not appear in court of his own volition.
She made particular reference to Mr Clark's Facebook account, where a post in February indicated he had "no intention whatsoever of complying with the law".
The post referred to police as "filth" and "dogs", and contained an acronym that means "Nomads forever, forever Nomads".
"F--- THE COPS AND F--- THE LAW!!," the post read, in part.
Dr Boss ordered that Mr Clark be remanded in custody to appear in Queanbeyan Local Court on Thursday afternoon, but the case was later pushed back until Friday morning in Goulburn.
Earlier on Thursday, ACT Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said the local Nomads' ranks were "completely diminished; none left".
He indicated that fresh charges would also likely be laid in the ACT in the future.
"At this time, investigations are still ongoing in relation to ACT-specific offences relating to drug and property matters," Detective Superintendent Moller told media.
"Outlaw criminal gang members should know Australian and international police agencies work collaboratively on these investigations, and state and international borders will not inhibit our ability to pursue these criminals.
"This investigation with our partners is very much ongoing, and any criminal gangs in the ACT and NSW remain our focus."
