Alexander Papanikolaou: Bonnet Bay man sentenced for racial slurs, spitting at police

The Bonnet Bay man spat at police officers and threatened security guards after he was asked to leave Watsons Bay Hotel. But his drunken exploits didn’t end there.

A young man spat at police officers, made racial slurs towards them and threatened security guards during a drunken night out at a popular Sydney waterfront bar, a court has heard.

Alexander Papanikolaou, 23, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court for a range of offences stemming from a violent, aggressive and derogatory episode on March 5 this year.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly labelled Papanikolaou’s actions at Watsons Bay Hotel “reprehensible” before placing him on a community correction order for 18 months.

Agreed facts tendered to court said the Bonnet Bay man was “violent, quarrelsome, aggressive and verbally abusive”, adding he had no respect for law enforcement.

Alexander Papanikolaou was sentenced for spitting at a police officer and security guard during a drunken night out. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Papanikolaou arrived at Watsons Bay Hotel with four other mates about 5pm for a night of drinking but only an hour and a half later the group was asked to leave the venue because they were intoxicated.

The court heard Papanikolaou and his mates argued with a security guard before Papanikolaou stood in the man’s face with clenched fists and said, “I’m going to break your jaw. Where do you live, come fight me. You’re an Arab dog”.

The group remained in the area despite being told to leave, but after some time left.

They returned to the location where Papanikolaou began spitting in the air towards the security guards, with some landing on the head of one of the bouncers, the documents said.

The men sat down nearby to order an Uber, before police arrived and detained them due to the incidents at the hotel.

The men became argumentative and aggressive before they started filming and antagonising police.

According to court documents, Papanikolaou launched into a tirade of racial slurs, swear words and abuse directed towards officers including “look at his Indian f***”; “go back and fight in Ukraine you Russian dog” and “look at this ugly ranga f***”.

He then gave officers two false names, claiming he had no identification on him.

Alexander Papanikolaou made racial slurs towards officers and bouncers after being kicked out of Watsons Bay Hotel. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Papanikolaou continued to yell at officers and then attempted to walk off while he was being placed under arrest, the documents said.

He pulled his arms away and told the officer to “f*** off” multiple times before he was handcuffed.

Police requested for backup to deal with Papanikolaou’s friends who became more aggressive.

According to documents, while an officer was moving Papanikolaou’s handcuffs from behind his back to in front of his body so he could be put into a caged car, Papanikolaou spat on the face of a constable.

He was taken to Waverley Police Station and charged with intimidation, being an excluded person remaining in the vicinity of a licenced venue, common assault, using offensive language in a public place, giving a false number to a constable, resisting or hindering an officer in the execution of their duty and assaulting a police officer.

The court heard Papanikolaou had drugs and alcohol abuse issues.

In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Hugh Donnelly took into account Papanikolaou’s youth and put him on a community corrections order where he must be of good behaviour. He must undertake anger management counselling, a mental health assessment and continue completing the Enough is Enough program.

He was also fined $3700.

“You made racial slurs at people and the conduct should be denounced. It is at the upper end of the range,” Magistrate Donnelly said.

“The fact you do not remember the incident is not a mitigating factor.

“To spit in the face of a police officer during a pandemic is reprehensible.

“Spitting is referred to as a low act and this was committed against someone trying to do their job, trying to quell the disturbance you and your so-called friends created.”