Costly trip to Coles for Troy Mercanti as he fronts court with pointed political message
A trip to Coles, breakfast at a Fremantle cafe and attending a mate’s funeral earned notorious Mongols bikie Troy Mercanti a $9000 fine from a Perth magistrate on Wednesday.
Mercanti, who walked into court wearing a T-shirt that said, “Mr Squigley fcuk your laws” – a pointed message to Attorney-General John Quigley over the government’s anti-consorting laws – pleaded guilty to nine breaches of a post-sentence supervision order.
Troy Mercanti sporting a message for Attorney General John Quigley on his way to court on Wednesday.Credit: Ezra Holt
The two-year order was imposed on Mercanti, 56, in 2019 when he was released from jail after serving seven years for bashing his former partner.
But through his lawyer Paul Holmes, Mercanti argued he made a “mistake” in not believing the order applied outside of Western Australia when he travelled interstate to attend a bikie funeral, wore Mongols colours, and was seen by police riding a Harley Davidson with other bikies.
Three of the nine breaches occurred in WA, with Mercanti caught with known bikie associates while having breakfast in Fremantle, shopping at Coles in East Victoria Park, and attending a party at Mindarie.
But Holmes said Mercanti was unaware the people he was consorting with were bikies.
“Sitting in a cafe, it was people sitting around at a cafe enjoying bacon and eggs and a cappuccino,” Holmes said.
“It was whether those people were outlaw motorcycle gang members or associates, that’s the question.”
Of a visit to Coles with a mate in April 2020, Holmes said Mercanti was “just there to get some food”.
“They were going to cook up some food and perhaps have some soft drink,” he said.
While discussing his ability to pay a court fine, the court heard Mercanti lived with his mum and looked after her, his only employment “working for friends” and assisting the club with some building work.
Magistrate Brionie Ayling was open to throwing Mercanti back in jail, but opted instead to fine him $9000 for the breaches, despite state solicitor Michael Bennett arguing the bikie had a “blatant disregard” for the order, which was made in attempt to rehabilitate him and protect the community.
Outside court, Mercanti said he was happy with the outcome and was still forging ahead with plans to fight the anti-consorting laws, which prevented bikies from socialising with each other and wearing their patches.
Mercanti was the first person in WA slapped with an order under the laws, which banned him from socialising with 31 named people.
His High Court case is understood to be bankrolled by up to 14 WA motorcycle gangs, with Mercanti represented by one of the state’s top barristers, Steven Penglis, SC.
Under the laws, introduced in 2021, a person can be jailed for up to 12 months and fined $12,000 for consorting contrary to a dispersal notice or displaying insignia of an identified organisation in a public place – including gang tattoos and patches.
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