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Timeouts aren’t just for kids: Hells Angels told to take anger management courses after skirmish with rival bikers

Three Edmonton members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club were ordered to take anger management courses Wednesday after pleading guilty to assault charges relating to a “dust-up” with rival bikers.

Eduardo Bartolozzi, 36, was handed a 60-day jail sentence to be served on weekends and placed on probation for a year after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm for a Feb. 21, 2014, attack on Warlocks Motorcycle Club member Jason Bryanton at a tattoo studio and laundromat in Drayton Valley.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Vital Ouellette noted Bartolozzi punched Bryanton about 25 times and “cowardly” stomped on him while he was on the ground. He said it appeared on a video of the group assault that was played in court that he “clearly lost it.”

Ouellette ruled it was an aggravating factor that the incident was a group attack, but said the assault resulted in Bryanton only suffering a black eye and some facial cuts.

The judge noted defence lawyer Daniel Song’s submission that Bartolozzi is no longer involved with the Hells Angels, he is working in Peace River, caring for eight children and helping to feed the needy. The judge told the burly and heavily tattooed trucker he was either a “good actor” or had “changed his life around.”

Darcy Lee, 40, was handed a 30-day jail sentence to be served on weekends and placed on probation for a year after pleading guilty to assault with a weapon for hitting Warlocks member Rocky Buzzell twice in the back with a broken table leg.

Ouellette accepted that Lee’s assault of Buzzell was “spontaneous” and there was no evidence that Buzzell was injured.

“Lucky thing you didn’t hurt him,” Ouellette told the iron worker and former Alberta bodybuilding champion.

Troy Pawluk, 45, was fined $2,000 and put on probation for a year after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm for punching Bryanton two or three times in the head and pushing him to the ground in what defence lawyer Zachary Elias called a “dust-up.”

Ouellette ruled Pawluk’s role “was not as severe” as the other two; however, he told the journeyman mechanic and married father of two that his actions led to Bryanton suffering his injuries.

Ouellette noted all three had spent five days in custody after being arrested and ordered each of them take anger management counselling while on probation.

Meanwhile, charges against the trio of robbery, intimidation and committing an offence in association with a criminal organization were withdrawn. As well, all charges against Hells Angels members Dustin Lowry, 36, and Roy Radies, 52, were also withdrawn.

Related charges against Hells Angels member Dominic DiPalma Jr., 35, were withdrawn last month when he was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking in cocaine and marijuana and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.

According to an agreed statement in facts, Bartolozzi, Pawluk and Lee were members of the Westridge chapter of the Hells Angels, which had a clubhouse located at 8116 159 St. in Edmonton.

Court heard the “dust-up” occurred at the Bad Boyz Tattoo Studio and Laundromat in Drayton Valley, which was owned by Warlocks member Dean McKnight, who was not present that evening.

Court also heard that in the months leading up to the 2014 incident, there had been an ongoing rivalry/feud between members of the Warlocks and Hells Angels.

At the time of the incident, 14 men, of which at least 10 were Hells Angels, entered Bad Boyz through the front door. The incident was captured on surveillance video which police seized a short time after. The Warlocks involved refused to provide statements.

Crown prosecutor Lawrence Van Dyke had sought jail terms of nine to 12 months and argued the group assault was like “tag-team wrestling” with the bikers acting in a “wolf pack kind of mentality.”