Father of Cats star denies he was threatened over debt to Hells Angels as video emerges showing him barking like a dog

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.