"Death head" items returned to HA

12/03/2012 TORONTO - The Ontario government must return a raft of seized items bearing the Hells Angels' 'death head' insignia to the bikers, an Ontario judge has ruled. The judge made her ruling because she found there was no relation between criminal acts committed by club members and the paraphernalia, which includes black leather vests, belt buckles, gold and diamond jewelry, and other clothing bearing the logo. "While membership in the club was clearly used to commit the offences, membership cannot be equated with the symbols of membership," Ontario Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell said in her judgment. "There was a rule that members were not permitted to wear (the Hells Angels) insignia when committing offences."

Police seized the items in question in April 2007 during raids on the Hells Angels clubhouse in Toronto and on the homes of several bikers. Although acquitted of being members in a criminal organization, nine bikers were convicted about 18 months later of a range of drug-related offences.