Former Lone Wolf Bikie Escapes Prison Time Despite 'Cowardly' Shooting Incident
A former Lone Wolf bikie who lured a man to an Inglewood house and shot him at point-blank range has been spared jail, with the judge placing blame on prosecutors for laying inadequate charges. Aaron Michael Seagrim, 37, faced sentencing this week in the District Court of Western Australia over the May 2022 shooting, which Judge Carmel Barbagallo described as "absolutely cowardly."
Judge Criticises Prosecution Over Charge Selection
Judge Barbagallo expressed frustration that she could not send Seagrim back to prison despite what she called his "long and terrible" criminal record. The judge noted that Seagrim's Western Australian charges alone span 29 pages and that he has been sentenced to prison ten times with multiple stints on remand. However, prosecutors had only charged him with unlawful wounding and possessing an unlicensed firearm.
"It is quite extraordinary that those offences do not truly reflect the seriousness of your criminality," Judge Barbagallo told Seagrim during sentencing. She sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended for two years, stating she was constrained by the charges brought by the State.
Details of the Inglewood Shooting Emerge
The court heard that Seagrim phoned 44-year-old Daniel Luke Broadley, whom he had met days earlier and initially thought "was a good bloke," asking him to fix a lock at the Sexton Road house. When Broadley arrived, Seagrim offered him a drink in the kitchen. As Broadley picked up the drink and turned to speak, he "saw a rifle with a sawn-off barrel pointing at his face."
Judge Barbagallo recounted that Broadley thought "that was the end of him" and described him as being "like a trapped mouse." As Broadley ran toward the front door, Seagrim shot him while Carlos Roberto Gidgup blocked the exit holding a replica handgun and pulled Broadley to the ground, where they struggled before Broadley escaped on his motorbike.
Conflicting Accounts and Bikie Connections
Seagrim told the writer of his pre-sentence report in August that Broadley had inquired about buying a gun from him for $10,000 and they argued about the cost. Admitting he was a heavy methamphetamine user, Seagrim claimed he was trying to scare the victim and was aiming at the floor when he fired the gun—an explanation the judge did not accept.
The court also heard that Broadley had told Seagrim a couple of days before the incident that he was "having a few issues with a few outlaw motorcycle clubs." Seagrim told police he couldn't reveal what happened that night because he would "get into the s..." if he did.
Days after the shooting, Gang Crime Superintendent John Hutchison revealed that Broadley—also believed to have bikie links—had a run-in earlier that week with two outlaw motorcycle gang members before escaping and going to police.
Seagrim's Criminal History and Current Status
Judge Barbagallo emphasised the severity of Seagrim's criminal background while expressing her inability to impose a harsher sentence given the charges. Seagrim, who says he is no longer a bikie, will serve his suspended sentence under strict conditions rather than returning to prison for what would have been his eleventh incarceration.
The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about bikie-related violence and the legal challenges prosecutors face in bringing appropriate charges for complex criminal incidents involving outlaw motorcycle gang members.
