A senior Rebels bikie member has walked out of court a free man after a planned act of intimidation turned into the murder of another gang member.
Sami Esko Hamalainen had pleaded guilty to recruiting an associate to intimidate former Rebels bikie John Salafia, and to assisting an unknown person knowing that person had committed murder.
The 45-year-old was already found guilty of being an accessory after the fact of Mr Salafia's murder on the NSW south coast on June 26, 2013.
Justice David Davies on Wednesday in the Supreme Court sentenced Hamalainen to at least two years and eight months for the crimes, but having already served his time in custody was declared "free to go".
Hamalainen had been a member of the Rebels' Ulladulla chapter for more than 10 years when he organised with then-president of the club's Sydney chapter Robert John Stewart McCloskey, to intimidate Mr Salafia at his Kings Point home.
The Rebels believed Mr Salafia was supplying members' addresses, including those of Hamalainen and McCloskey, to a rival club.
Hamalainen tasked McCloskey with intimidating Mr Salafia and purchased a white Subaru Forester "getaway car" which was stashed in bushland.
McCloskey then drove his "crew" to Mr Salafia's residence where he lived with his family. He was shot three times in the head and chest moments after answering the door to a group of about two or three men.
Upon returning one of the assailants told McCloskey they had shot and killed him.
The car was driven back into bushland and burnt and Hamalainen subsequently became aware of the murder.
He instructed an associate to warn the man he purchased the Subaru from not to tell police he had done so.
Justice Davies said he was satisfied Hamalainen knew the intimidation would likely involve "more than just words," but that he never intended for Mr Salafia to be killed.
