A Sydney man has told a court how he called in to see Peter Zervas at his home, chatted about his hair and work, and then found himself biting off a chunk of the former bikie's nose.
Nicholas Harafias, 29, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of intentional grievous bodily harm following a bloody encounter with Mr Zervas in his Leichhardt apartment building just over a year ago.
"It was almost like something came out of me and bit him," Harafias recalled from the witness box on Wednesday.
"It was surreal."
The personal trainer has told his Downing Centre District Court trial that he was also living in Leichhardt at the time, and knew Mr Zervas as a fellow member of the Greek community who he'd see at local cafes.
He said he believed Mr Zervas was connected to the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club and that when he became aware of "gossip" suggesting bikies were targeting his family, he thought Mr Zervas could help him get to the bottom of it.
"I thought he might be able to address some of the rumours that I heard," Harafias said.
At first, his visit to Mr Zervas's home was a friendly one, he said.
"I spoke about work, we spoke about our hair," Harafias said.
But after a few minutes of small talk with Mr Zervas and a friend who was also present, the accused said he asked if he could speak to Mr Zervas out in the hallway.
"I got straight to the point," Harafias said on Wednesday.
As soon as he mentioned bikies, the mood turned.
"He said `Are you serious? Which bikies?'" Harafias recalled.
"I said, `As if you don't know.'"
The court heard Mr Zervas began "clutching his face" and "fidgeting" before saying in a loud voice: "You're accusing me of extortion, what the f***?"
Harafias says Mr Zervas then pinned him up against a wall as the other man emerged from inside the apartment and, in a moment of shock and fear, he lashed out.
"(I thought) if I fight back, will there be repercussions? Do I just stand back and take it?" Harafias said.
"I just closed my eyes and bit ... I couldn't believe that his nose came off."
He later added he "heard a crunch" and then screams.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court heard evidence from two detectives who said Mr Zervas had refused to name his attacker.
Detective Senior Constable Shana Masters said she asked Mr Zervas if he would tell police what happened.
"Peter replied, `You know me. I'm not saying anything. You guys will work it out - you guys always work it out'," she told the court.
The trial continues before Judge Helen Syme.
Share
