The mother of a bandidos bike enforcer continues to fight for her son’s remains after his long-term girlfriend claims she wants him to be in charge of his funeral.
Ricky Chapman, 32, died on 20 April after suffering a medical episode while working at the port of Rio Tinto at Cape Lambert, some 1,500 km to the north. Perth,
Since his death his mother, Susan Britt, and girlfriend, Stacy Shope, are locked in a fight for his remains and the right to his funeral.
Former Bandidos bike enforcer Ricky Chapman (above) 32, died on April 20 after suffering a medical episode while working at the port of Rio Tinto at Cape Lambert, 1,500 km north of Perth.
After Chapman’s girlfriend, Stacy Shope (above) initially launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his funeral, Chapman’s mother, Suzanne Britt, filed for custody of his remains.
Last week Ms Shoppe was granted permission to hold Chapman’s funeral by a Supreme Court judge, The West reports.
The court heard that Chapman and Ms Shoppe were in a ‘marriage-like’ relationship and were once expecting a child together.
However, Chapman’s mother, Ms. Britt, filed an appeal the next day to release Chapman’s body in her custody and give her the right to hold his funeral.
The hearing of the urgent appeal has been scheduled for next week.
Susan Britt (above) has said there is no evidence that Ms. Shope and Chapman were in an actual ‘marriage-like’ relationship and is seeking permission to hold Chapman’s funeral.
The state coroner’s office is listed as a party to the case, despite having already ruled in Ms Shoppe’s favor.
Chapman died 16 months after escaping from the same killer bullet that killed Rebels biker boss Nick Martin at the Perth Motorplex in December, 2020.
Ms Shoppe, who is also Martin’s stepdaughter, initially started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his funeral.
She raised thousands of dollars for her funeral, but those plans were soon put on hold when Chapman’s mother, Suzanne Britt, took up the matter of who had the right to hold her funeral in court.
Ms Shoppe (right) and Chapman (left) began dating in late 2019, but Ms Britt said they had broken up for some five months after her son’s death.
There was no will at the time of Chapman’s death.
Ms Shoppe and Chapman began dating in late 2019, but Ms Britt said they had broken up for some five months after their son’s death.
Ms Britt said there was no evidence the couple had been in a ‘marriage-like’ real relationship before Chapman’s death and alleged they broke up in November 2021.
She said Chapman was at one time living without Ms. Shope at the Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough.
Chapman (above) died while working at the port of Rio Tinto at Cape Lambert, 1,500 km north of Perth.
Ms. Shoppe wrote in a victim-effect statement that her relationship with Chapman had “ended under the pressure” of a shooting in which her stepfather, Martin, was killed.
Ms Shoppe responded to these claims with an affidavit that said she was in an actual relationship with Chapman and was “excited” to become a father before losing her child in a miscarriage.
Justice Courthoys said, “Mr. Chapman was excited when he learned she was pregnant and was devastated when Miss Shoppe had a miscarriage, indicating that he intended to create a family in a marriage-like relationship.”
He added that the couple may have broken up between November and December last year, but that didn’t mean the relationship ended completely.
Ms Shoppe said it was Chapman’s wish to arrange for her funeral and that the Supreme Court be given custody of her remains before Ms Britt appeals.
Ms Shope told the court that she would honor his wish by making arrangements for his funeral.
“I’m here just because Ricky told me what he wanted, otherwise I’d be happy to go to his mother,” she said.
‘He went to jail a lot and spent a lot of time in misery and I wanted him to get what he once wanted.’