A former serviceman who compared the “brotherhood” of his outlaw biker gang to the type he experienced in the military has been jailed for attempting to murder another motorcyclist.
Barry Smith - a member of the Satans Slaves - drove his van into a motorcycle being driven by Andrew Lamb, a member of the Tribe Motorcycle Club. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the assault took place on July 24 2021 on the A7 road close to the junction of the A6699 road at Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders.
Smith, of Dunfermline, Fife, was acting as a support driver for a convoy of Satans Slaves as they drove their bikes in their area. The 42-year-old was supposed to help motorcyclists who injured themselves or who broke down.
READ MORE - Children's maths question leaves grown ups stumped as some claim it made their 'head hurt'
But the court heard how Smith used his van to carry out out an assault on Mr Lamb which needed him needing urgent hospital treatment. Shocked eyewitnesses saw members of the Slaves fight with Tribe MCC members on the road.
Smith then drove his vehicle into Mr Lamb’s bike causing him to suffer debilitating injuries. A passing motorist filmed Smith at the scene in his van. They captured him whilst he wore a T-shirt which contained the slogan SFFS - which the court heard stood for “Slaves Forever Forever Slaves”.
Police managed to gather enough evidence to bring Smith to court. On Monday afternoon, Smith, who denied any wrongdoing during a week long trial, was found guilty on charges of attempted murder and breaching road traffic laws by failing to stop after striking Mr Lamb.
Smith wept and held his head in his hands as prosecutor Yvonne Waugh told the court how has previous convictions. A female juror also wept as a woman who was related to Smith also cried in the public benches of the court
Defence lawyer John Brannigan asked for bail for his client. But judge Fiona Tait refused the application before remanding him in custody ahead of sentencing next month. Judge Tait told Smith: “I propose to adjourn sentence to obtain a Criminal Justice Social Work Report.
“I’m not prepared to continue bail.”
The Satans Slaves Motorcycle Club was founded in Shipley, England in 1966. It is one of the largest outlaw biker clubs in the United Kingdom and has 29 chapters in England, Scotland and Germany. They became infamous around the country for violence, bloodshed, run-ins with the law and clashes with rivals the Outlaws and Hells Angels.
Their members came from across Scotland, as well as northern England, and were linked to crimes across the UK. Their Fife chapter included convicted paedophile George Ritchie.
In 1979, a gang member was jailed for wielding a knife and for admitting that he was the brains behind a £150,000 robbery plot. Around this time, another Satan’s Slave was among 11 bikers jailed for a total of 55 years after a bloodbath battle with the Hells Angels in Berkshire.
In 2007, George Kerr, an associate of convicted gunrunner Paul Ferris, was the target of an attempted hit by two Satan’s Slaves in Dundee. He escaped injury. Members of the gang were also linked to a serious assault on a young man and his girlfriend in a Doncaster pub in December 2010.
Sign up to Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
As recently as 2011, police in Tayside were probing claims that 4000 bikers were heading to Scotland for a mass battle between The Blue Angels and Satan’s Slaves. The Tribe were formed in Edinburgh in November 2011 and now have 25 chapters. It says it is not a one per cent club - a reference to when the American Motorcycle Association issued a statement riots in California in 1947.
It stated 99 per cent of motorcycle riders are law-abiding citizens. Gangs like the Hells Angels said they formed part of the one per cent which wasn’t law abiding. However, the Tribe states that it is a “support club” of the Blue Angels.
The Blue Angels claim to be the oldest motorcycling gang in Scotland. It has been claimed that “Blue” stands for B*****ds, Lunatics Undesirables and Eccentrics. The gang - which was formed in Maryhill, Glasgow, - have been linked to a number of violent attacks since its formation in the early 1960s.
The jury heard that in the hours before the attack on Mr Lamb, around 125 motorcyclists descended in the area. Some had come from England and other parts of Scotland. An eyewitness said the bikes being driven by the motorcyclists resembled those belonging to Hells Angels.
The court heard that after striking Mr Lamb, Smith didn’t contact emergency services and drove away from the scene. His vehicle was damaged from the collision and it was abandoned further down the road. He was spotted a short distance from the scene by a member of the Tribe. He told the motorcyclist to stop in an aggressive manner.
But the court heard that the cyclist was concerned that he would be assaulted and drove away. Smith denied any wrongdoing. He compared his membership of the Satans Slaves to his time in the services.
He said: “For me as an ex military man, it kept the brotherhood going.”
In her closing speech, Ms Waugh urged jurors to convict Smith of the charges on the indictment. She said: “Mr Smith drove at a motor vehicle being driven by Andrew Lamb. He was chosen at random.
“The accused struck Mr Lamb with the intention of knocking him off his bike so he could be assaulted by others. He does not call 999. He does not call the emergency services.
“I invite you to convict the accused on the charges on the indictment.”
Mr Brannigan urged jurors to acquit his client saying there wasn’t enough evidence available to convict Smith. He added: “This is the most confusing crown case. There’s no clear picture of what happened at all.”
But jurors convicted Smith of the charges. He will be convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 21 2023.
