Senior Comanchero jailed for revenge attack on former member who joined rivals

A senior Comanchero and church-goer has been jailed for seven years over a violent home invasion, the target of which was a former gang member who joined their rivals.

At the end of an ACT Supreme Court jury trial earlier this year, Aofangatukau Fatafehi Finau Langi and Christopher James Millington, both aged 32, were found guilty over their roles in the attack.

On Wednesday (15 September), the court heard several intruders, including Langi and Millington, had gone to Alexander Miller’s home in Kambah late in the night of 21 November 2019.

They kicked in the front door while Miller and his girlfriend fled into the bathroom to hide.

One of the intruders fired a gun into a door and poured petrol in the lounge room. One said, “Light it up”.

They set the house on fire and left. Miller and his girlfriend fled outside and called the fire brigade.

Justice David Mossop said the home invasion happened during a long-running dispute between Miller and the Comancheros.

He said Miller joined the motorcycle gang as a patched member in 2017, spent time with Langi and Millington and held the status of a “hang around”, which was a precursor to being a full member.

But in early 2019 he was kicked out of the Comancheros for not showing loyalty, and he became a patched member of the Nomads, rising to sergeant-at-arms in the gang’s ACT chapter.

Justice Mossop said Miller was subject to retaliation for having left the gang in bad standing.

A covert recording picked up Millington discussing Miller in November 2019.

“I want to f–k him up … cut his f–king fingers off, man,” he said.

Justice Mossop said Langi was a sergeant-at-arms in the Comancheros two weeks after the home invasion.

He also said as Langi was a senior member in the gang when Miller left to join their rivals, he was satisfied this contributed to his involvement in the home invasion.

Justice Mossop said Langi was of Tongan descent, worked in the Canberra construction industry and was a church-goer, but was also “unfortunately” a member of the Comancheros and continued to be associated with the gang, meaning he was a person of “bad character”.

The jury had found Langi guilty of charges of aggravated burglary and arson with the intent to endanger life.

Millington was found guilty of his charges, including arson with intent to endanger life, and pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary.

Justice Mossop sentenced Langi to a total of seven years and three months’ jail, with a non-parole period of four years and two months.

As he has been in custody since February 2020, his sentence was backdated. His non-parole period means he is eligible to be released from jail in April 2024.

He was also ordered to pay reparations of almost $26,000 to the home’s insurer.