Oct 29, 2008 - 03:31 PM

By Jeff Mitchell

WHITBY -- Jurors hearing the case against two Hells Angels accused of conspiring to commit murder are being given a primer in the mysterious and insular world of outlaw biker gangs.

The first two days of testimony in the trial of Remond Akleh and Mark Stephenson have been devoted to a description of the world-wide reach of the Hells Angels and the way in which club members conduct their business.

As Crown attorney John Scott has guided Thunder Bay police Sergeant Kenneth Davis through his testimony, jurors have viewed videotape of biker gatherings and heard excerpts from club documents seized by police.

They've even had an explanation of the Angels' infamous "colours" -- the black leather vests festooned with the club's trademarked "Death's Head" logo -- as the officer, a member of the provincial Biker Enforcement Unit, showed off samples police have seized from bikers.

Sgt. Davis's testimony bolsters comments made by Mr. Scott during his opening statement to jurors Monday, when he said the Hells Angels are a global organization with chapters in countries around the globe.

"The Hells Angels are not limited to Ontario, Canada, or North America," Mr. Scott said. "They are a world-wide organization."

Sgt. Davis is the first witness to testify in the trial of Mr. Stephenson, president of the Oshawa chapter of the Hells Angels and Mr. Akleh, a former Oshawa Angel who transferred to the club's elite Nomads unit. Mr. Stephenson, of Sunderland, and Mr. Akleh, of Cobourg, have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder and counselling to commit murder.

The Crown alleges the two men conspired with fellow biker Stephen Gault to assassinate Frank Lenti, a man with ties to biker gangs including the Bandidos, arch rival of the Hells Angels. The plot, hatched in the spring of 2006, was never acted upon, Mr. Scott told jurors; the two men now on trial were arrested in September of that year.

Unbeknownst to them Mr. Gault, a full-patch member of the Oshawa chapter, had been working as a police agent since 2005, gathering evidence of cocaine dealing among club members, the Crown said.

During Sgt. Davis's testimony jurors have viewed videotape taken by police when Hells Angels members -- including Mr. Gault and the two men on trial -- attended a meeting at the Angels' clubhouse in Windsor.

They've also heard about seized documents that refer to the move made by the Hells Angels into Ontario several years ago, when a number of clubs -- including the Oshawa Satans Choice -- were brought into the fold during a "patch over" ceremony that followed years of courting and negotiations.

The trial, which began in earnest Monday, resumed Wednesday after testimony was cancelled Tuesday due to a juror falling ill. That juror has now been excused from the panel for medical reasons.

Superior Court Justice Bruce Glass announced Wednesday the trial will continue to completion with 11 jurors.