A German court has sentenced the leader of Hells Angels Berlin charter to life in prison over an apparent revenge killing. Under his orders, a group of bikers stormed a local bookmaker's shop to kill one of his rivals.
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Eight members of Hells Angels' Berlin charter, including the group's leader Kadir P., were sentenced to life in prison by a Berlin court, German officials announced on Tuesday.
The charter leader was found guilty of putting a kill contract against Tahrir Ö, with whom he was in a long-running conflict. In early 2014, a group of 13 Hells Angels stormed a Berlin bookmaker's shop, with one of them opening fire and hitting Tahrir Ö. with six bullets.
The 26-year-old died at the scene.
Some of the participants wore masks, surveillance video footage from the building showed.
The Berlin court sentenced the 35-year-old Kadir P. to life in prison for incitement to murder, and seven other members of the group received the same sentence for taking part in the attack. One other attacker was handed a shortened prison sentence of 12 years, after he cooperated with investigators.
Judge Thomas Gross described Kadir P. as "anti-social" and aggressive.
"Nothing would happen without him," he said.
Prosecutors also claimed one other defendant was involved in the murder, but failed to prove the link. He was sentenced for possessing an illegal weapon to one year and ten months in prison.
Tuesday's sentence brings an end to the biggest-ever trial involving biker gangs in Germany's history.
Contentious biker garb
Two members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang sued because they weren't allowed to wear their club's jackets after some local chapters of their gang had been banned.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
'Fat Mexican' not welcome
The "Fat Mexican," the trademark of the Bandidos motorcycle club, stands for trouble. A chapter was banned from the western German city of Aachen due to violence and illegal gun ownership in 2012. It followed a ban of the Neumünster group in 2010. But does that mean members of other chapters are not allowed to wear club jackets in public? Germany's Federal Court of Justice is set to decide.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
A fight against a fine
Two Bandidos in Germany took their case to the courts after being fined for wearing club vests - despite the fact that their local chapters had not been banned and had not broken any laws. Members of the Hells Angels, the other large motorcycle club in Germany, have found themselves in the same situation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Kraufmann
The dreaded winged death head
Displaying the Hells Angels' signature winged skull, the "death head," in public, can lead to criminal charges - that's despite only certain chapters of this club being banned in Germany. The rational behind this is that authorities don't want people flaunting symbols for a gang that is involved in violent and illegal activities.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. von Erichsen
More than a piece of clothing
Should the court sustain a general ban, it would be a punch to the gut of clubs like the Bandidos and the Hells Angels. After all, the leather vest with club insignia is part of a member's identity and a badge of honor. Insiders can even tell what status a member holds in his group by looking at the different patches on the vest.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Hannibal
A means of intimidation
For the police, the jackets have less romanticized connotations. Authorities associate the leather vests with intimidation and illegal activities. In 2013, Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office said one in eight trials was connected to motorcycle clubs. Crimes included assault, drug and weapons trafficking and prostitution.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J.W. Alker
Illegal insignia?
Opponents of a general ban of the vests criticize its underlying concept of guilt by association. A German criminal law professor recently wrote that the policy of "persecution" of members of non-banned chapters urgently needed to be changed. Whether wearing the "Fat Mexican" or a winged skull is reason enough to be taken in by police will be decided on Thursday.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
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Police officers suspected of negligence
Separately, German authorities launched an investigation against three police employees for allegedly failing to prevent the murder. The officer are suspected of knowing about plans to kill Tahrir Ö. Months before the attack, and learning about the specific contract just five days before the kill, but failing to take steps to protect him. The investigation over the alleged "state misconduct" has not yet been completed.
The US biker organization Hells Angels first reached Germany in the 1970s. In recent years, police have repeatedly clashed with the members of the group, which authorities claim often operates as a cover for criminal activity. Earlier this year, a court in Leipzig sentenced four Hells Angels' members over murder, and another murder trial is underway in Cologne.
