No matter how bad you think the emerging American police state is, it is worse in Australia.
Yesterday Task Force Echo, the four-year-old police department formed to fight “gang violence” in Melbourne, arrested an alleged Hells Angel named Peter “Skitzo” Hewat (photo above) and charged him with 49 offenses after a car in which he was riding was stopped by the special police group. Charges include resisting police, possessing a dangerous article, handling stolen goods and possessing poison.
“In the vehicle in which Mr. Hewat was travelling was an aluminum baseball bat under the driver’s seat,” Task Force Echo spokesman Detective Acting Sergeant Chris O’Brien explained. Police also allege that Hewat was in possession of a blister pack of Viagra, which O’Brien characterized as a “poison.” O’Brien also said the car was stopped because it had “stolen wheels.”
Police subsequently searched Hewat’s home and tow truck business and his son’s home and claimed to have found closed circuit video footage of Hewat driving while his license was suspended.
Flight Risk
At his initial hearing police asked that Hewatt be held without bail. O’Brien called Hewat an “unacceptable risk.”
Hewat protested, “I’ve never not turned up on bail, I’ve never … been a flight risk.” He also told the judge “I run a business. I’m there seven days a week.” Hewat was scheduled to have a bail hearing later today.
Hewat has had previous brushes with the law and has been free on bail since last May. Police have attempted to link Hewat to corruption in the tow-truck business near Melbourne and have alleged that he is not “fit and proper” enough to drive a tow truck. At the time of that arrest Police said Hewat had stolen a tow truck and that he possessed equipment that could be used to restamp vehicle identification numbers. Hewat was also charged with threatening a police officer and possessing dangerous drugs. Under the terms of his bail, Hewat had to stay in the Australian State of Victoria, report to police five times a week, and stay home after nine at night.
Last September, Hewat was also charged with threatening and punching a woman who he believed had stolen his Shih Tzu Terrier. The woman said she did not initially believe Hewat owned the Shih Tzu and admitted to sending Hewat profanity laced text messages. The dog was later found to have been injected with a subcutaneous Radio Frequency Identification microchip that proved the dog belonged to Hewat.