On Wednesday, police arrested 33-year-old Benjamin James Moarefi in Canberra over his alleged role in the Queanbeyan stabbings. Photo: NSW Police.
Bikies allegedly found women and children inside the Queanbeyan shop where they were going to attack two men and locked the door to stop these bystanders from leaving while the stabbings took place.
More details about the allegedly targeted double stabbing inside a Crawford Street business on 8 August 2025 were revealed when two of the seven defendants applied for bail.
The court heard it alleged that eight men, who police claim were members of an outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG), drove to the business in convoy and parked on a street nearby.
It is alleged that some stayed in the vehicles, some acted as lookouts on the street, while others carried weapons inside.
Once there, they allegedly found women and children sitting inside the shop’s foyer, so one of the gang locked and guarded the door to stop these bystanders from leaving.
Two men, aged 26 and 29, were then allegedly assaulted and stabbed in a storeroom, resulting in serious injuries.
It is alleged one defendant, 25-year-old Dean Geiger of Queanbeyan, held back one of the two men when he tried to intervene in the attack on the other.
Mr Geiger also allegedly held this man when he, too, was stabbed.
Seven alleged members of the bikie gang were arrested this week and charged with wounding with intent to murder, while an eighth is expected to be charged in the future.
Five did not apply for bail when they faced the NSW Local Court on Thursday (4 September) and were remanded in custody.
But two, 33-year-old Benjamin James Moarefi of Gordon in the ACT and Mr Geiger, did apply for bail.
The prosecutor, when opposing bail, alleged Moarefi was present at the business when a co-accused pulled out a gun and he was also inside the storeroom when the stabbing took place.
He noted police were yet to find the firearm.
Police examine the scene on Crawford Street, Queanbeyan, after the double stabbing. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
Peter Woodhouse from CODA Criminal Law, representing Moarefi, said his client’s alleged role was extremely limited, he was not alleged to have carried out any violence, and he would plead not guilty.
The lawyer said there appeared to be identification issues for all defendants, which was a live and problematic issue for the prosecution.
Mr Woodhouse also said there was no evidence to suggest his client or any of the other defendants had done anything to interfere with witnesses since the stabbings.
“If it was going to happen, you might think it would already have happened,” he said.
During Mr Geiger’s bail application, the prosecutor alleged it was “clearly an organised criminal enterprise and he was certainly involved in it”.
Rosemary Benet, the lawyer for Mr Geiger, said a Queanbeyan Anglican church minister was willing to allow him to stay at a local property if he was released.
She said her client was relatively young, had very strong community ties in Queanbeyan and “no criminal record to speak of”.
Acting Magistrate Wills said the allegations were very serious and the alleged attackers did not appear to be deterred by the presence of women and children.
She ultimately found there were risks to granting Mr Moarefi and Mr Geiger bail and refused it for both.
The five defendants who did not apply for bail were: 20-year-old Mason Geoffrey Harrison Novakovski, 24-year-old Jack McFarlane, 27-year-old Jason Pahl, 27-year-old Nicholas John Lawrence and 30-year-old Jacob Turner.
Mr Pahl and Mr Novakovski were arrested in Canberra, while the rest were arrested in Queanbeyan.
All seven matters were adjourned to 28 October at the Queanbeyan Local Court.
Earlier on Thursday, Detective Chief Inspector Keith Price from NSW Police said both stabbing victims were out of hospital and were recovering from their wounds.
Very funny CR. We need more humour in these forums. Though there's plenty of jokes :-) View