OFF THE WIRE
ONE of six Comanchero bikies accused of murdering a man in a brawl at Sydney airport said "I shanked him" and dropped a knife in a drain as he fled the scene, a jury has heard.
The short and unexpected fight, sparked by a "chance encounter" of rival gang members, culminated in the death of Anthony Zervas, the brother of Hells Angel Peter Zervas.
The court was told Mr Zervas was attacked with bollards, kicked, punched and stomped on as he lay on the floor of the domestic terminal.
He suffered "massive head injuries and stab wounds", Crown Prosecutor Natalie Adams said in her opening address in the NSW Supreme Court trial on Wednesday.
Comanchero bikies Mahmoud Hawi, Farres Abounader, Canan Eken, Zoran Kisacanin, Christian Menzies and Usama Potrus, have pleaded not guilty to murdering 29-year-old Mr Zervas in the March 2009 altercation.
Hells Angel David Padovan has denied a single charge of riot.
Ms Adams told the court Comanchero members travelling from Melbourne to Sydney "by chance" recognised Hells Angels boss Derek Wainohu on the same flight.
Hawi, the former Comanchero national president, stared and growled at Mr Wainohu before each side called for reinforcements, the court heard.
Anthony Zervas and his brother had been helping paint a house when they received a message to head for the airport.
Meanwhile, Comanchero members also began making their way there.
An altercation occurred at Gate 5, allegedly sparked by Hawi or Mr Wainohu, who one witness said "got punched" and fell to the ground.
Mr Wainohu didn't take any further part in the violence, the crown said.
According to another witness, Hawi threatened the retreating Hells Angels, saying: "You're a dead man walking".
A second brawl broke out and moved through the check-in area as airport staff and passengers looked on, but there was no clear CCTV footage of the assault because the nearest camera wasn't working that day, the court heard.
But Ms Adams said evidence suggested the victim "was involved in the fighting from the start and was chased by Comanchero as the fighting erupted".
One witness described seeing Mr Zervas "swing at Hawi in an upward direction" resulting in Hawi being cut on the arm.
Others have described seeing up to five bollards in the air at the same time, and up to four men attacking Mr Zervas, who had a high level of cocaine in his system, the court heard.
Hawi's DNA was found under the victim's fingernails and broken scissor handles were located near the body, with the remainder of the scissors embedded in his jacket.
As the men fled, Menzies is alleged to have to have admitted "he thought he killed him" while Abounader allegedly said to an associate "I shanked him, I want to drop it", before discarding a knife in a drain.
Ms Adams said the crown case is that both scissors and a knife could have been used to inflict the stab wounds.
The trial, before Justice Robert Allan Hulme, is expected to last six months.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/bikie-tells-court-i-shanked-him/story-e6frf7jx-1226062907479
