Axel Sidaros: Comanchero has convictions quashed and faces retrial
A Comanchero bikie has had his convictions — including for attempted murder — quashed, and will face a fresh trial over an alleged attempt to kill the gang’s former Canberra president.
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Comanchero bikie Axel Sidaros has had his convictions, including for attempted murder, quashed, and will face a fresh trial over an alleged attempt to kill the gang’s former Canberra president.
Sidaros was last year found guilty of a string of offences including the attempted murder of the gang’s former Canberra Chapter president, Peter Zdravkovic, and was in April jailed for 14 years.
The ACT Court of Appeal on Wednesday quashed Sidaros’s conviction and ordered a new trial.
A suppression order prevents the publication of precisely why two of the panel of three judges — Justice Michael Elkaim and Justice David Robinson — decided to quash the decision.
Sidaros learned of appeal decision by video link from Canberra’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
His defence lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, said his client, who has been behind bars since his arrest in September 2018, might soon apply for bail.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold told the court it was “likely” his agency would push ahead with the retrial.
The allegations against Sidaros, who was a private school student before he joing the Comanchero, are that he and three unknown men stormed Mr Zdravkovic’s home amid a rift in the local chapter of the bikie gang.
Mr Zdravkovic, who was showering at the time, emerged nude with a gun of his own and returned fire, but was shot in the finger.
A forgetful Mr Zdravkovic said at trial that he lost his finger as the result of a “dog attack”.
When police arrived at Mr Zdravkovic’s home in the minutes after the alleged attempt on his life, he was attemping to put out the petrol-fuelled inferno with a garden hose, while wearing only underwear.
The prosecution case is that the alleged attempt on Mr Zdravkovic’s life came after he refused to hand back his gang colours when he was ousted from the chapter presidency, instead setting them on fire in a deliberately-provocative slight against the gang.
Sidaros, who admits his links to the gang, has always denied being one of the four masked intruders.
The retrial is expected to see a colourful cast of witnesses called back to court, including Mr Zdravkovic.
Sidaros’s case returns to court on Thursday for an administrative listing before a registrar.
