Rebels bikie Colin Crane has murder conviction quashed over death of Clint Starkey

The murder conviction and 16-year prison sentence have been quashed after an appeals court ruled the fatal attack on motorcycle officer Clint Starkey may have been intended only to “cover up”.

Starkey was “swiftly and violently attacked” by four men at a Caltex petrol station in Peats Ridge, New South Wales’ Central Coast region, on April 5, 2017.

The 42-year-old died two months later in Gosford hospital after failing to recover from serious head injuries.

Colin Crane was found guilty of Starkey’s murder and sentenced on November 11, 2022, to 16 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 10 years and nine months.

When Crane was arrested in 2018, he was described by police as a “lifelong” member of the criminal motorcycle gang Rebels.

Prosecutors said Colin Crane and his brother James Crane arranged for the assailants to attack Starkey, intending to seriously injure him.

During the trial, the jury was told that the men did this because Starkey allegedly made threats against them and their families.

Colin Crane and James Crane were both convicted of murder in July 2022, having been accessories to the crime.

Rebels member Colin Crane (pictured during his arrest in 2018) has had his murder conviction quashed

Adam Symons, Beau McDonald and Guy Robertson were also convicted of murder over the assault, while another man, Jake McDonough, was convicted of manslaughter and a final co-defendant, Simon Rodden, was found not guilty.

Also today, the appeals court ordered that Robertson be retried for his alleged role in the fatal assault.

He is due to appear in court on August 2.

In Wednesday’s verdict in which Colin Crane was acquitted, Judge Ian Harrison said the evidence against him did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had indicated he wanted Starkey to be assaulted to a degree likely to cause him serious harm.

Judge Harrison said the jury could have found that the men who assaulted Starkey had gone there, whether at Crane’s direction or not, “with the intention of giving him what might colloquially be called a beating”.

“The attackers were unarmed, despite the fact that they were likely aware that Mr Starkey had a history of firearms possession,” Judge Harrison said.

The 42-year-old died two months later in Gosford hospital after failing to recover from serious head injuries

‘The fact that whatever happened at the petrol station was likely captured on CCTV, which the attackers were aware of, also suggests they were not concerned about being apprehended, something that seems highly unlikely if the plan was to cause truly serious harm.’

Judge Harrison said the Crown’s case drew strength from Crane’s “demonstrated hostility towards Starkey, which allows for only one possible conclusion when there are several possibilities”.

Evidence was heard during the trial regarding an altercation between Crane and Starkey on April 3, 2017.

Witnesses testified at the trial that they heard Crane yell, “I’m going to get you, you fucking dog son of a bitch.”

Starkey’s aunt also testified that she spoke to Crane the next day and that he told her that “he was going to fucking kill him.”