OFF THE WIRE
Wedding of Hells Angels bikie Samir Jouayde and Susie Arida at the New Westella Reception Centre in Lidcombe. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Sunday Telegraph
HE came close to spending his special day behind bars - but an 11th-hour reprieve saw Hells Angels biker Samir Jouayde celebrate his wedding with his long-time lover Susie Arida.
Dressed in his bikie gang colours but with a Nomads logo on the front, Jouayde danced the night away with his bride at a lavish bash in Lidcombe - featuring hip-hop artists, a magician and a Lebanese rock band."It's party time," said Jouayde, flanked by members of the Parramatta chapter of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang.
But his celebration last night with 300 guests almost didn't happen.
Jouayde and four of his Hells Angels associates were arrested last week and charged over the alleged theft of four luxury cars and an attempt to extort $120,000 from Terry Mullens, owner of a luxury Burwood car dealership.
The cars were taken on Thursday, July 7, but in a bizarre turn of events were returned undamaged 26 hours later. The gangs squad arrested Jouayde and four others last Monday.
Initially refused bail, and set to miss his $32,000 wedding, Jouayde's barrister made a successful last-ditch appeal on Friday which saw the bikie released under strict curfew.
He said sitting in a cell thinking he was going to miss his wedding "was a bit nerve-racking".
His bail condition means he is under house arrest between 8pm and 8am but last night was allowed out until 2am for his wedding.
Jouayde granted The Sunday Telegraph exclusive access to the event at the New Westella Reception Centre, Lidcombe
"Just make sure you write good things and tell people how nice we are," Jouayde said.
He laughed when asked what he thought of his barrister, George Thomas, who said: "What I can't understand is why a fellow would want to get out of jail to get married, which is like a life sentence anyway."
"He's funny like that, always joking around," he said. "It's a life sentence I'm happy to serve."
The bride said she was nervous the wedding would not go ahead.
