Christian Menzies, who carries the initials ACCA – Always Commancheros, Commancheros Always - tattooed across his neck, took the witness stand yesterday and denied he had killed Anthony Zervas

Christian Menzies, who carries the initials ACCA – Always Commancheros, Commancheros Always - tattooed across his neck, took the witness stand yesterday and denied he had killed Anthony Zervas at Sydney Airport in 2009.

Menzies, 29, who had joined the Commancheros Motor Cycle Club in 2006 and was still loyal, though he was no longer a member, admitted he had been involved in the brawl at the airport on March 22 that year when 12 Commancheros confronted five Hells Angels.

But he said that after the initial scuffle, he had been solely bent on getting out of the airport, hearing that someone had a gun, and had not seen or heard the violent incident when Mr Zervas was bashed to death with a bollard.

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He has pleaded not guilty, along with the Commancheros president, Mahmoud (Mick) Hawi and four other Commanceros, to the murder of Anthony Zervas. The trial, in the Supreme Court, Parramatta, is being heard by Justice Robert Hulme and a jury.

Cross-examined by Natalie Adams, Crown prosecutor, Mr Menzies acknowledged that two witnesses had said he had swung the bollard. But he said the two (whose names have been suppressed) were wrong. He denied that when he had got into a taxi to get away from the airport, he had said: “I think I killed him.”

He agreed that a DNA sample matching his had been taken from the shirt of Mr Zervas. But he insisted that he had never touched Mr Zervas.

Mr Menzies said he had been to Melbourne that weekend and had been on the return trip when the Commanceros president, Mick Hawi, had confronted Hells Angels president, Derek Wainohu, on the plane, but he had been sleeping.

He had seen a scuffle involving Mr Wainohu at Gate Five at Sydney Airport but had not been involved. He said that when he and his fellow Commancheros had approached the check-in counter in the departure lounge, he had seen another group and had seen Anthony Zervas coming towards them.

He said talk that he had been involved in the fatal assault on Mr Zervas, referred to in evidence, was “bullshit”.

Ms Adams said the two people who had given evidence that he had been involved in the fatal assault happened to be the two Commancheros he had nominated as having been involved in the fight at Gate Five. Mr Menzies said that was coincidental.

He denied that when Mick Hawi and Anthony Zervas had been fighting at the check-in counter area, he had grabbed Mr Zervas and hauled him off. He had not chased Mr Zervas through the departure lounge, had not seen him fall, and had not seen him set upon by a group of Commancheros.

Ms Adams said a photo in evidence indicated that he was running in the direction of the fatal fight. Mr Menzies: “No.”

Ms Adams said: “The reason you were involved in that assault on Anthony Zervas was that you were part of an agreement with fellow Commancheros to inflict some serious injury on the Hells Angels?”

Mr Menzies replied: “I did not assault Mr Zervas and I did not make any agreement with anybody to do anything ... I did not touch Mr Zervas in any way, shape or form."

The trial resumes on Monday next week and final submissions are expected about two days later.

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