A bikie group vice-president alleged to be part of Australia’s biggest cocaine seizure is also accused of organising a drive-by shooting via text chat on behalf of the Sunshine Coast chapter of the gang.
Ryan Sean Givney, 45, applied for bail in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday on one charge of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm aggregated by serious organised crime.
“Hey brother, what guns do we have there? We need to spray a house. Don’t forget to send pic of gun and ammo,” Givney allegedly texted a co-accused on the day before the shooting.
Givney later allegedly texted: “Just a heads up. They are shooting tonight. This will bring the heat as this will be a big one.
“I don’t need to remind everyone that what’s spoken about in the group chat stays in this group chat.
“Also please for security reasons wipe chats every night.”
He is separately on remand for allegedly attempting to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into Australia along with 12 other co-accused.
Givney was accused of counselling an unknown person to travel in a stolen hatchback to a house in Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, in the early hours of November 25, 2024.
“For the purpose of shooting the occupants of the address to send a message on behalf of the Sunshine Coast chapter of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle club and to recoup a debt,” Justice Elizabeth Wilson said.
“Shooting happened this morning. No one rips us and gets away with it. Simple. Please everyone no talk,” was allegedly texted to the group chat 50 minutes after the gunfire.
Two adults and two toddlers were at the home when it was sprayed with bullets, one of which went through the roof of a child’s bedroom.
Givney was arrested in November 2024 after police seized a boat containing the record haul of cocaine off K’gari, formerly Fraser Island, that was allegedly set to transfer its cargo to smaller boats departing from Bundaberg.
He has also been returned to prison for violating parole on an eight-year sentence for serious drug trafficking handed down in 2021.
Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen opposed bail as Givney was a “hefty risk of fleeing”.
“It is the largest cocaine import in Australian history. Hundreds of millions of dollars. If convicted he is looking at spending most of the rest of his life in custody,” he said.
The shooting Givney allegedly organised was gravely dangerous to children, Justice Wilson heard.
Justice Wilson asked defence barrister Tony Kimmins why bail was applied for if Givney could not be released.
“It does seem a little odd,” Justice Wilson said.
“I was instructed to bring the application, I can’t take it any further,” Mr Kimmins said.
Givney’s position as a vice-president in the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang did not appear to be contested, Justice Wilson said.
She found he was obviously an unacceptable risk of offending while on bail.
“There are no conditions I could impose that could ameliorate the risks,” Justice Wilson said.
“Bail is refused.”
