Airport brawl witness feared for life

A witness to a fatal bikie brawl at Sydney Airport ran in fear upon seeing rival
gang members "kicking, screaming and fighting" after a flight arrived from
Melbourne, a court has heard.
Anthony Zervas, 29, died at the airport on March 22, 2009, during a "ferocious and
vicious" riot that allegedly involved eight Hells Angels and 12 Comanchero.
Ten of the Comanchero members are charged with Mr Zervas' murder, while two others -
whose identities are protected and are known only as AL and SP - have become
prosecution witnesses.
Mr Zervas and his older brother Peter Zervas were among seven Hells Angels
"reinforcements" who were called to the airport on the day after members of the
rival gangs had a chance meeting on an aircraft.
The violence was sparked by an encounter between Hells Angels Sydney president Derek
Wainohu and five Comanchero on Qantas flight 430 from Melbourne to Sydney.
"That sighting of Derek Wainohu sparked the chain of events that led to the death of
Anthony Zervas at Sydney Airport later that day," crown prosecutor Natalie Adams
told a committal hearing on Monday.
Both sides made mobile phone calls and sent text messages calling for members to
meet at Sydney Airport, Ms Adams said.
"There had been conflict between the Comanchero and Hells Angels for a period of
about 18 months to two years," she said.
When the five Comanchero disembarked in Sydney, national president Mahmoud 'Mick'
Hawi approached and punched Mr Wainohu, before making verbal threats, the crown
alleges.
Ms Adams said those threats included: "You're dead, do you hear me? You're f***ing
dead."
A witness told Sydney's West Trial Court at Parramatta on Monday she saw the brawl
break out.
"I saw many men start to have individual fights, kicking, screaming and fighting
with each other," the witness, whose identity is suppressed, told the court.
"I ran behind the departure and arrivals screens as I was scared for my own safety."
Minutes later, members of both groups met near the domestic check-in counter of
terminal three.
"Eyewitnesses observed a number of persons pick up (steel) bollards and use them as
weapons," Ms Adams said.
"Anthony Zervas was punched and fell to the ground, and while he was on the ground
he was punched, struck violently to the head with bollards ... and was stabbed with
both a knife and a pair of scissors, a broken part of which was found later in his
clothing."
He died from serious head trauma including multiple fractures to the base of the
skull and three stab wounds to the chest and abdomen which punctured his right lung,
liver and stomach.
Most of the men fled the airport in cars and taxis, she said.
Ten Comanchero are charged with Mr Zervas' murder.
They are: Hawi, Sydney "road captain" Farres Abounader, Maher Aouli, Sydney
secretary Tiago Costa, Ismail Eken, Zoran Kiscanin, Sydney treasurer Frank Larosa,
Christian Menzies, Pomare Pirini and Usama Potrus.
Lawyer for Hawi, John Korn, told the court the Comanchero were not the aggressors in
the riot.
"Our case is going to be that we were very much the people who were attacked at the
airport," Mr Korn said.
Three men linked to the Hells Angels - Peter Zervas, David Padovan and Musa Ovalle -
are charged with affray and riot over the events but were excused from attending
court.
The hearing, before Magistrate John Favretto, will hear from 61 witnesses and is
expected to last for up to 12 weeks.