Perth bikie war fears: Police claim ‘kill order’ made on Rock Machine bikie Derek Joshua Yardley by Mongols

A bikie war could be set to explode in Perth, with police claiming a kill order has been authorised by Mongols bikies against members of a rival gang. The death threat was revealed in Rockingham Magistrate’s Court on Friday when an alleged Rock Machine member — who was part of a mob attack on the Port Kennedy home of Mongol Steve Bennie — applied for bail. Derek Joshua Yardley, 32, appeared by video link from Hakea Prison on charges of criminal damage and with intent to harm and endanger the life, health or safety of a person. Police allege Mr Yardley was part of a group of Rock Machine bikies who shot and attacked the home in Sirius Place in the early hours of March 11, while Mr Bennie’s girlfriend and five-year-old daughter were inside. Mr Yardley allegedly used a baton to smash two parked cars during the club-sanctioned retribution, breaking windows and damaging the bodywork. In opposing bail, police prosecutor Sen. Sgt Shaun Bailey said he had been told by the investigating officer that a “kill order” had been sanctioned by the Mongols against the men involved. He also revealed that while police had charged several people identified from CCTV footage of the attack, three men were yet to be identified and remained at large. Sen. Sgt Bailey said police held concerns over violence that could break out between the gangs and urged Magistrate Vivian Edwards to refuse bail. Mr Yardley’s lawyer, Matthew Blackburn, said no proof of the kill order had been provided to the court and it should not be used as a reason to refuse bail. He said Mr Yardley was initially unaware of why the attack was taking place and did not know firearms would be involved. In arguing for bail, Mr Blackburn said his client’s girlfriend was pregnant and he wanted to be able to support her. He also said Mr Yardley would spend a significant time in custody and may not be dealt with by the courts for another year and a half. However, Ms Edwards said she agreed with police that the kill order was concerning and that releasing Mr Yardley on bail would be a risk to not only himself, but to his family and the community. Mr Yardley has been remanded in custody and will appear in court again on July 7. Police sources say there has been increased tension in WA’s criminal underworld as gangs fight over turf in the wake of Rebels boss Nick Martin’s assassination. The Mongols, who count WA’s most well-known bikie Troy Mercanti as a senior member, are one of the fastest-growing gangs in the world. Their presence in Perth has also swelled in recent months after they absorbed former Rebels gang members from the “Roc City” chapter. Rock Machine re-emerged in Perth in 2019 after it was thought the gang had withdrawn from WA when its member patched over to the Bandidos. The gang is one of the biggest internationally and is infamous for a bloody turf war with the Hells Angels in North America that started in the mid-1990s and left more than 160 people dead.