The getaway driver implicated in the execution-style murder of former bikie Shane Bowden has been denied bail. Peter Michael Cummins is accused of collaborating with eight co-defendants in the premeditated killing of Bowden, a 47-year-old who reportedly broke away from the Mongols motorcycle club to join rival gang The Finks.
Bowden was shot 21 times at his Gold Coast residence shortly after midnight on October 12, 2020, by two assailants – one armed with a fully automatic pistol and the other with a shotgun. In a recent Supreme Court hearing, Justice Lincoln Crowley ruled against Cummins’s bail application after the prosecution laid out their case. Crown prosecutor Bradley White described the shooting as a meticulously planned operation, likening it to “military” precision rather than a spontaneous act of violence.
Evidence presented included claims that the assailants tested their firearms beforehand and utilised encrypted communication to orchestrate the attack, which involved tracking Bowden using a GPS device hidden on his vehicle. A phone connected to Cummins was found to have been in proximity to devices related to the operation before the murder.
The prosecution emphasised the risk that witnesses may become unavailable if Cummins were released, indicating that the integrity of the case could be jeopardised. Cummins’s defence attorney, Scott Lynch, argued that the prosecution’s case is weak and highlighted that his client has been held in custody for over three-and-a-half years. Lynch expressed concern about the complexity of preparing a defence while incarcerated.
The court heard that Cummins had tattoos affiliated with the Mongols and had reportedly discussed joining a different chapter of the gang upon his release. This prompted concerns from White about Cummins’s commitment to a life of crime. Justice Crowley expressed unease over Cummins’s close ties to outlaw motorcycle gangs and the potential risks of him failing to appear in court, committing further offences, or tampering with witnesses.
Consequently, bail was denied with Crowley noting the potential danger Cummins posed, referencing the seriousness of the organised crime charges he faces. A committal hearing for Cummins is scheduled for October to assess the evidence against him and determine whether he will proceed to trial.