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A bankrupt tradesman and the father of Geelong footballer Tanner Bruhn appears to have been forced to say he owes money to the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang while being threatened by an unidentified man.
Matthew Bruhn, 51, was ordered to “bark like a dog” as he knelt in a park while dressed only in underpants and a T-shirt, according to a 23-second video obtained by this masthead.
It is unclear if Bruhn was threatened with a gun during the ordeal, but he is told to “start barking like a dog, before I put one in you”.
The 51-year-old plumber is instructed to identify himself and confirms he owes money to a Hells Angels member, but does not discuss the specifics of the debt.
However, Bruhn has a different take on the footage, and claims through his lawyer that “the video was made in jest with some friends and was not intended to depict, and should not be represented to be depicting, actual or true events or circumstances”.
“That is to say, our client says he does not owe any money to and has not had any dealings with or associations with the Hell’s Angels OMCG,” said solicitor Anthony Murdoch from Patten Robins Lawyers.
Police have attempted to speak with Bruhn regarding the video, but he was described as “unco-operative”.
“Victoria Police has conducted enquiries regarding the circumstances depicted in the video and assessed all information presently available. Investigations are ongoing at this stage, so it would be inappropriate to make any further comment,” a police spokeswoman said.
Bruhn, who was declared bankrupt for the second time in March 2024, has continued to rack up debts with other tradespeople and clients of his business, Southwest Insurance Maintenance Business.
Bruhn was countersued in 2023 following allegations he had defrauded a vulnerable mother of $500,000, leaving her on the brink of homelessness.
According to court documents, the mother of five, a domestic violence survivor, met Bruhn in 2021 when he was engaged to provide NDIS-funded care for her disabled children while the family was living in a caravan.
Bruhn allegedly preyed on the mother to orchestrate a financial scheme under the guise of renovating her two homes to prepare them for sale. He befriended the mother, allegedly gaining access to her phone, banking details, passwords and other financial documents.
According to court filings, Bruhn falsely claimed to be a qualified builder and over a period of two years collected $193,000 from the mother while performing little, if any work on the properties.
Bruhn is also accused of incorporating a business in her name, which he used to secure a $300,000 high-interest, short-term loan against her properties, and diverting the proceeds to himself.
Matt Bruhn’s alleged debts
Vulnerable mother: Bruhn is accused of defrauding an unemployed mother of five out of $500,000, leaving the woman on the brink of homelessness.
Santiago Aznal: Aznal claims he lost $100,000 after Bruhn failed to repair the damaged roof of his Strathmore home.
Bellarine Peninsula couple: A couple with two young children say they were left with a $308,000 debt, accusing Bruhn of misleading and deceptive conduct.
The mother lost one of her homes in June 2023 after defaulting on loan repayments her lawyers claim she was unable to understand.
“[The mother] was a vulnerable person who had little or no financial acumen and was suffering from the effects of domestic violence,” the counter-claim said. “[The mother] has a learning difficulty … and has significant difficulty with numeracy and financial concepts.”
The private lender’s case to repossess the woman’s second home was dismissed after she filed a counterclaim, while Bruhn’s lawyer denied the allegations against his client.
One disgruntled customer, who alleges he advanced $10,000 to Bruhn to repair the damaged roof of his Strathmore home last December, has sent dozens of text messages, emails and legal letters in a futile bid to recoup the money.
Santiago Aznal also attempted to have the dispute mediated by the Building and Plumbing Commission, but Bruhn failed to show up.
“How do you live with yourself? You were in our home, shook my hand and looked me in the face,” said Aznal in an SMS on February 23.
Aznal said Bruhn would constantly refer to his son, Tanner, who was charged with rape and missed an entire AFL season until the case against him collapsed in November last year after a key prosecution witness was found to have lied to police.
Aznal sent a letter to the footballer via the club.
“Your father did mention to me that he was Tanner Bruhn’s father and what you and your family had been through last year. I sense now this was simply a tactic employed by your father to gain empathy from us,” he wrote.
Bruhn’s lawyer denied his client had ever used his son’s AFL career to further his business interests.
“Our client denies ever using his son Tanner Bruhn’s name (Tanner) to establish credibility or obtain work. Our client intends to write to Mr Aznal and ask him to correct all untrue statements he has made,” solicitor Anthony Murdoch said.
However, Murdoch confirmed his client had racked up debts.
“Our client concedes that he did owe people money, but not the Hell’s Angels. He further concedes that he became an undischarged bankrupt after his business collapsed, which therefore means his creditors are being lawfully handled by his bankruptcy trustee,” Murdoch said.
Bruhn was declared bankrupt again in 2024, after allegedly leaving a couple with a $308,000 debt after he was engaged to repair a property on the Bellarine Peninsula.
His company was forced into liquidation in 2023 after Bruhn failed to repay the money, with the couple alleging he had been misleading and deceptive about his licensing and insurance when taking on the project.
Liquidator Neil McLean’s November 2023 report noted that Bruhn’s company’s bank account had a balance of just 71¢, and found Bruhn had breached several director duties.
Last year, Bruhn’s photo was shared to a “dodgy builders” Facebook page, with an anonymous post warning local tradies to “beware of this bloke”.
Several Facebook users responded alleging they had also been scammed by the father of three.
Bruhn, who is estranged from his son, was a champion footballer in the Geelong Football Netball League and was inducted into the Grovedale Tigers’ hall of fame in 2019.
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Carla Jaeger is a journalist for The Age. Got a tip? Email carla.jaeger@theage.com.au or message carlajaeger.62 on Signal.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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