The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Murder of Gerry Tobin PDF

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Delivered by Mohammed Rahman- The ‘Outlaw’ biker gang - Hell’s Angels is widely regarded as one of the biggest transnational organised crime groups. Academically it is one of the least understood and researched. Drawing on the murder of Hell’s Angels member Gerry Tobin, this lecture will explore the...

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The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Murder of Gerry Tobin- L4 Organised Crime ▪ The phenomenon’s of Organized Crime can be a combination of; – Social – Political – Economical (Normally found in England) ▪ The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) – Primarily social phenomenon of organized crime – Indirectly political- tend to reject mainstream values and norms however they will dabble in politics for monetary gains – One of the biggest Transnational Organized Crime groups in the world; ▪ HAMC crimes: illegal drugs trade; firearms trade; prostitution; racketeering; murder ▪ HAMC – considered to be an ‘outlaw’ biker gang; not to be confused with the outlaw’s biker crew- this means they aren’t sanctioned by the motorcycling organization – Also known as the 1% ers- the AMA said 99% of bikers are law abiding citizens that uphold the law and part of mainstream society whereas the Hells Angels are the 1% Popular culture references of MC’s Gangland Undercover American based TV drama series- follows the story of Charles Falco, an 80th confidential informant who infiltrated an outlaw biker gang. The 80th known as AFT unit is a task force that combats any illicit trade involving alcohol, tobacco and firearms. They are a national task force in the US which just goes to show the national outrage of outlaw biker gangs. Sons of Anarchy focuses on the ins and outs of tight knit outlaw gang called Sam Crow. The series provides a holistic insight of vigilantism, government corruption and racism that outlaw bikers immerse themselves in. Interestingly one of the main characters (happy) is actually a Hells Angel Characteristics of ‘Outlaw’ Mc’s 4 organisations considered to be the 1%ers according to the AMA- Hells Angels, Bambinos, Pagans and The Outlaws. The Outlaws are known to be rivals of the Hells Angels, they operate internationally and have several bases in the UK as well as the US Brotherhood- (from the Hells Angels internet page under F&Qs) ‘Motorcycle clubs consist of a group of people who have ridden together for years, living in the same community, are known by the community, have runs to raise money for local charities and are a brotherhood. It’s a motorcycle club as opposed to association such as Harley Owners group or gold wing riders which allow anyone to join as long as they have a Harley or gold wing. Not to say associations are better or worse, just different. They don’t ride 20,000 plus a year to get to know each other as well as your family which is what a motorcycle club is about. If your already in a motorcycle club you know how to start a Hells Angels charter in your area, and if you’re not, well, that’s probably why you asked the question in the first place’. As we can see, based on the description, there is a huge sense of identity and brotherhood. Rejection of mainstream values and ethics; Idea of the 1%ers Misleading- difficult to pinpoint their understanding of values, makes research difficult as they are a very closed group and don’t allow people to enter their world

Minimal involvement of ‘old ladies’- partners (referred to as old ladies) are restricted to what they can know about the group Patches/Hierarchy; Democracy/voting – Church; ‘Helping your own’ Bike runs; Local bashes that raise money for charities and local businesses. Also, ones to invest back into their own clubs such as the bulldog bash in the UK Violent practice and International organised criminality; Charters and Chapters- a charter is a license that allows a chapter to start off. A chapter is a branch in another area such as the UK, Asia, Australia etc from America where the Hells Angels originated (see, for example, Richardson, 1991; Barker, 2007; Barker and Human, 2009 Wolf, 2008) ▪ ‘Masculine honour’ ▪ ‘Collective identity’ History of the HAMC • Originates from San Bernadino, California in 1948; started in the west coast after the second world war • First prominent chapter was Oakland, California; • Oakland chapter headed by Ralph ‘Sonny’ Barger; a delinquent in his earlier days, from a broken family where the dad was always away on work • Barger – most decorated figure of the Hell’s Angels; • Barger signed off the London charter in 1969 in London – first European charter (Barger et al, 2000) HAMC in England • In 1969 London was awarded two chapters, both of which amalgamated in 1973; • Wolverhampton, Birmingham awarded charter in 1985; before the gangs were merged with the hells angels there were several outlaw biker gangs operating in the west midlands at the time which were involved in deviant and criminal behaviour. Due to this the below occurred: • Wolverhampton chapter renowned for violent feuds; • Between 1985 to 1990 with local MC’s • 1992 encounter with Liverpudlian gang which resulted in fatal violence • Main rivalry with the Outlaw’s MC The Murder of Gerry Tobin • August 12, 2007: Gerard Tobin aka “Gentleman Gerry” was shot multiple times on the M40 motorway while heading home after spending the weekend at the HAMC annual ‘Bulldog Bash’; • Gerry was riding his bike alongside 3 ‘prospect’ bikers. All witnessed the murder, but none gave any information to the police; • Seven members of the Outlaw’s MC were found guilty of his murder and sentenced to a total of 191 years; those include Shaun Creeton who pleaded guilty to murder and firearms charges at the start of the trial, Simon Turner, Dain Garside, Dean Taylor, Malcomb Bull, Karl Garside and Ian Cameron from the South Warwickshire chapter of the Outlaws • Motive for the murder was never established however retaliation is considered to have some connection

Approach to Research • To the researcher’s knowledge, there was no scholarly research in relation to fatal violence and biker gangs in the West Midlands, England • PhD Case Study on Gerry; • Offshoot academic paper • Triangulation: Theory; life course of Sonny Barger; murder of Gerry Tobin; based on secondary research as speaking to a member was impossible • Research – a ‘critical think piece’ Research Findings • Violence, namely spectator violence at the forefront of HAMC/Outlaw MC masculinity; • Violence: a driver of collective identity; • Murder of Gerry Tobin executed to maintain collective identity and advance masculine honour; • Calculated ‘hit’: Conducted by a Journeyman hitman (Macintyre et al, 2014); • Retaliation – ‘an alternative form of criminal justice’; Conclusion • Outlaw biker organisations like the HAMC live in a paradoxical world; • Violent practice is essential in order to develop, maintain and advance as an organisation; • Prime example of glocal criminality; • Outlaw MC’s structured around ‘masculine honour’ and ‘collective identity’ References • Barger, S., Zimmerman, K., and Zimmerman K. (2000) Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. London: Harper Collins. • Barker, T. (2007) Biker Gangs and Organized Crime. Newark: LexisNexis • Barker, T., and Human, K. (2009) ‘Crimes of the Big Four Motorcycle Gangs’. Journal of Criminal Justice. 37, 174-179 • MacIntyre, D., Wilson, D., Yardley, E., and Brolan, L. (2014) ‘The British Hitman: 19742013’, The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Wiley Publications. 53 (4) 325-340 • Richardson, A. (1991) ‘Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs: USA Overview. Sacramento, CA: California Dept of Justice Organized Crime and Criminal Intelligence Branch • Wolf, D. (2008) The Rebels: A Brotherhood of Outlaw Bikers. Toronto: University of Toronto Press....