WA bikie Troy Mercanti found guilty over Como pub brawl caught on camera
Notorious West Australian cyclist Troy Mercanti has been found guilty of public affray and fined $2,500 after footage emerged of a fight with a rival club member at the Como Hotel 58 years ago.
The incident occurred in April last year, but the Mongolian cyclist decided to take the matter to court and on Monday Judge Janelle Scutt found him guilty of causing public fear and damaging property after a glass panel and two doors were destroyed in the fight.
CCTV footage of the fight released by the court showed Mercanti entering Como’s outdoor area and seeing David Morris sitting at a table with a woman.
Mercanti attacks Morris and the pair fight for more than 20 seconds, crashing into a glass panel as staff and bystanders try to control the situation.
The brawl then spilled off camera and into the bar’s parking lot.
Mercanti’s attorney tried to argue at trial that his client had acted in self-defense and that Morris had thrown the first punch, but Scutt disagreed, saying Mercanti always had the upper hand.
He also rejected Morris’ claim that he started the fight, calling him an unreliable witness.
Text messages shared between the two men before the fight included Morris threatening to fight Mercanti if he saw him.
Outside court, reporters asked Mercanti how he would pay the fine, and he replied: “With money.”
When asked why he and Morris disliked each other, Mercanti replied: “I can’t tell you that part.”
During the court hearing it becomes clear that Mercanti did not have his own bank account because no bank was willing to register him.
Dressed head-to-toe in black and white (the Mongols’ unofficial uniform since the Western Australian government banned cyclists bearing their club’s emblem) Mercanti also told reporters: “We won the fight, didn’t we?” When asked if he regretted starting the fight.
His attorney alleges that Mercanti attempted to contact The Como Hotel to pay for damages worth an estimated $855.
Mercanti will return to court later this month to fight separate charges of consorting with a named offender and displaying a bicycle badge.
