WOLF (life story)

THE CROWD IS OFTEN WRONG
(Avoiding bad choices)

Wolf says, "From 1977 to 1987 I lived a life unacceptable to society - an outlaw bikie in every sense, a violent man, heavily involved in drugs and alcohol abuse. My way of life was very empty, with no love for anyone, no compassion nor mercy in my heart for enemies, nor anyone who got in my way. I did time in seven prisons. In 1987, after a serious car accident where my life was spared, my life was changed …"

A shock in store for me

It was December 1973 and I was at home signing my papers to join the Royal Australian Navy. I was proud of my high school achievement of being one of the top students in Queensland, and was now ready to embark on my naval career. As I glanced at my birth certificate, I was surprised to say the least that a different name was entered instead of the one I was brought up with. My mother burst into tears as she told me the truth. My natural father had deserted her when she was pregnant and when I was only 10 months old she met another man. All of this was a great shock to me, and it was then that I realised that there was a lack of closeness between myself and my stepfather and my brothers and sisters.

The future looked bright

One of the reasons I was joining the navy was to make my father proud of me, as the family had a naval tradition in the German U boats and naval forces during World War 2. In reality, I was bought up in a good home with love and old-fashioned discipline in this German family (my mother being German also). My education standard was high, and for several years I longed to join the navy. I was a member of the Naval Reserve Cadets, and after applying to join, the navy accepted me. Following basic training in seamanship etc., I specialised in radar and communication, and I served on two warships; H.M.A.S. "Hobart", and "Vampire" as an able seamen Radar Plotter.

What went wrong?

I blew my naval career after only three years. I had an unlicensed firearm in my possession, and I was subsequently charged and punished. People who were close to me dobbed me in. I felt betrayed. Having a record, I felt very bitter and rebelled. I refused to salute commanders and captains. I went about with my hands constantly in my pockets, and was ordered to sew them up. Twice I went absent without leave, and really ran amok in the military watch-house. Eventually the navy dishonourably discharged me, much to my father's dismay.

In prison

Whilst in the navy I had in my possession a motorbike at the Naval Depot in Sydney. When I obtained my newfound freedom in the discharge, I bought a bigger bike and went to Queensland to join my friends who were in a motorcycle club. Along with these friends, I was convicted of breaking and entering a motorcycle shop and stealing motorcycle accessories. We ended up in Boggo Road Jail and Wacol Prison Farm. I was twenty years old and this was the first time I was in a civilian prison.

Bitterness set in

My job in Boggo Road was awful. It was laundry work, the worst job there, as it was hot and uncomfortable. Wacol was even worst. It was like slave labour doing irrigation work on farms. It was so stiflingly hot. Whilst I was an inmate in jail, my state of mind was hard, bitter and anti-social towards my family, authorities and society.

Slipping back into old habits

When I finally left prison, I went to Western Australia to start a new life. I was thoroughly sick of jail and I wanted to 'go straight'. Many inmates have this noble intention, but something goes amiss somewhere along the line, and one often slips back into the former situation. This is what happened to me. Perth is a beautiful coastal city and it offered me a great chance to start a new life; to forget the prison experiences, and to give bikies, drugs and partying a miss and go straight … but it was not to be.

Making wrong choices

I was staying in a Perth hotel renting a cheap room. The sound of motor bikes pulling up outside made my heart pound with excitement. Looking out the window, I saw the outlaw bikies dismounting their machines. I then went downstairs to the bar. The atmosphere, the brotherhood of bikies, and remembering my previous club involvement led me to talk to these men. I purchased a 1976 "Rat" Triumph ("Rat" referred to a bike in bad condition) and it wasn't long before I was in bikie gangs once more. I went on a few runs with them taking over small county towns, and terrorising the tiny communities and the police officers stationed there. We would seize food, petrol, drinks and other things without paying for them, and bashed anyone who got in the way. However, on a particular run, a police roadblock caught us on our way back to Perth. Police cars, motorbikes, vans and even helicopters were used to catch us. A prison sentence resulted from one of these runs.

A violent man

Later on, I became a full outlaw bikie member and we would have four to five major outlaw runs a year as well as weekend runs. Sometimes we would combine with other outlaws for a show of strength involving about three hundred bikies. We indulged in "retribution pay-back" on people who owed the club money etc. I received a three-year sentence for grievous bodily harm and deprivation of liberty using torture.

Maximum Security Prison

My first prison experience in Western Australia was Freemantle Maximum Security Prison where I worked in a tailor's shop. I worked an old-fashioned foot operated Singer sewing machine. After a few months my security rating was dropped down and I went to Canningvale Medium Security Jail. There I worked in the metal shop doing MIG welding and sheet metal work. We made trailers, toolboxes and other products. Later on I went to a prison farm and worked as a gardener. This ended my prison sentence of 15 months.

Life on the 'inside' was tough

Life on the 'inside' in Western Australia was hard and tough especially in Freemantle Jail. We had toilet buckets for sanitation, and we were two to a cell, so of course there was no privacy. In prison there were other criminals to contend with as well. There were also other outlaw club members with whom we were alienated. Of course, with the club colours tattooed to my back, and with a heavy club to defend, there were many times I had to make a stand. However, there were also members from my own club there, so I wasn't on my own in that regard. On one particular prison farm there were eight of my bike club, so I had plenty of company. Eventually I was released from prison but was in and out again and again. It seemed like a never-ending cycle.

Wasted years

Reflecting back on these times, what should have been the best years of my life as a young man were spent in wretched jails. Those days of my youth are gone forever, and cannot be recalled. What a waste! How many young people realise that these precious years should not be spent in a miserable jail. Yet another time in jail was for Social Security fraud for which I received a ten-month sentence. I went to Woorooloo Prison Farm on the outskirts of Perth, and from there onto another prison farm called Pardelup where I worked as a gardener.

Being caged up

My third prison sentence was for three years of which I served two years and three months. I received interstate parole and after several things happened I decided to leave the club. At that time, I realised that my former bikie friends had let me down. They rarely visited me. Part of the cost of leaving the outlaw bikie club was the confiscation of my beloved customised Triumph motorcycle by the club itself. They also took expensive photography equipment with camera, tripod, lens, filters etc. and even my personal photo albums were taken. During this term I felt restless, bitter and disappointed with life. I believed that I was badly done by through unfortunate circumstances, and that I had received a lot of bad breaks in my life. The loneliness and the horrible feeling of being caged up brought the temptation to escape.

No thought of repentance

Quite a few inmates did break out from the prison farm, but they ended up in Maximum Security prisons after being caught. The reality of this dispelled any thoughts of escape as my mental outlook was conditioned to the resignation of a life spent in prison. The thought of repentance for the crimes I had committed, or of spiritual matters never remotely entered my mind. However, after I was given the above-mentioned interstate parole, I decided to leave the bikie gang and go straight. I had spent over ten years in bikie gangs and about four and a half years in seven prisons in two states.

My life was spared

Early in 1987 saw a great turning point in my life. I was driving a car near Kyogle, N.S.W. and met with a serious accident. The vehicle crashed down a thirty-foot embankment landing upside down on the roof. When the police saw me the next day in hospital, they said that after seeing the accident scene that it was a miracle that my life was spared.

Told of judgement … forgiveness … salvation …

On release from Kyogle hospital, I hitchhiked to Beenleigh, Queensland. When I reached the town, my clothes were still spattered with blood, and my forehead still showing the stitches in my wound, I saw some Christians telling others about God in the street. I deliberately tried to avoid them, but they made a beeline for me. They saw my state of affairs; the stitched forehead, black eye and the blood stained clothing, and asked, "what happened?" I told them of the accident and being treated in Kyogle hospital. On hearing this they started praising God, and then said, that my life was spared for a purpose. They told me about the Lord Jesus Christ, about judgment, salvation, pardon and forgiveness of sins. At this time I became edgy and wanted to leave, bit I agreed for them to pray for me, so that I could get going on my way.

Starting to listen

About two or three months later I was in Cairns, Queensland and again met up with another group of Christians in the street telling people the 'good news' that Jesus was sent into the world to die for their sins. Alongside them was a table with free New Testaments, booklets and tracts. This time it was I who actually approached them. At first I thought I would be smart, and 'have a go' at them, but instead ended up listening. They gave me a New Testament and other literature and I agreed to read them.

Reading the words that set me free

I had plenty of free time on my hands and I read the whole New Testament in five days. When I read Titus Chapter 3, verse 3 to 7, the words seemed to leap out at me as my life was summed up in these verses.

"Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. But then God our Savoir showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savoir did. He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7, NLT).

I read about the love of God, and of the Saviour Jesus Christ who suffered and died for me so that I would be saved from the penalty of my sins and made free from guilt and sin. I then accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and my Lord and my God. A great burden of guilt and condemnation was miraculously lifted from my heart and I was saved from my sins.

"He (Jesus) gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right" (Titus 2:14).

So if you are just following the crowd and this has caused you to make wrong choices, think again … there is a better way!

Best Wishes,
Wolf

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