The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club lost a battle in court to force police to hand back vests, and other items bearing the bikers' trademarked logo of a winged skull.

In a ruling released today, Justice Gladys Pardu of the Superior Court of Justice agreed with the Crown that the club's "death head" logo is "offence related property," which makes it easier for club members to commit crimes.

Lawyers for the international biker club argued that the club owns the items, and has a right to have them returned.

Pardu disagreed, likening the club's efforts to gain back their vests and jewellery bearing club logo's to efforts by gunmakers to have their weapons returned after the commission of a crime.

"Nor should a landlord be.. able to challenge a finding that a tenant was using .. [a] home as a grow-op," the judge found.

Hells Angels' lawyer Ryan Naimark had argued in University Avenue court that the items are the property of the California-based motorcycle club, and not the club members from whom they were seized in drug and gangsterism raids.

"My client was not a party to this," Naimark earlier argued.

Court heard last week from Ricky Ciarniello, a senior club member and president of the Vancouver Hells Angels, who testified that the club does not condone lawbreaking.

The judge noted that three-quarters of club members have criminal records and that Ciarniello couldn't cite one instance of a club member being expelled for lawbreaking.

She also noted that the club doesn't accept police officers or any former law enforcement officials as members.

It was believed to be the first time in any country that a Hells Angels member has gone to court to argue for return of what the club argues is its property, which was seized during a police operation.

The judge agreed with Federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos, who reminded court that Justice John McMahon of Ontario Superior Court ruled last fall and winter in a series of biker trials in Toronto that the outlaw biker organization is a criminal enterprise across Canada.

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Andreopoulos noted that the judge commented on "the power of the patch," and the intimidating effect Hells Angels patches with a grinning winged skull can have on people during the commission of crimes.