Man charged over suspected hit-run death of young lawyer

A rideshare driver has been granted bail after he was charged over an alleged early morning hit-and-run accident that killed a young lawyer in Tamarama.

The crime scene on Fletcher St, near the corner of Silva St, on the border of Bondi and Tamarama, after a body was found in the middle of the street early Sunday morning. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

A rideshare driver has been granted bail after he was charged with killing a young lawyer in a horror alleged hit-and-run.

Zisi Kokotatsios, 63, appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday to make an application for bail after spending the night in custody on remand.

Police allege he was illegally using his phone while driving along Fletcher St in Tamarama around 4am on March 17 on his way to pick up a rideshare customer.

On Saturday, the police prosecutor said surveillance footage had captured the moment Mr Kokotatsios allegedly struck Mitch East and his car was “lifted up”.

“An audible crash sound was captured on CCTV in the vicinity of the scene and the vehicle was seen to slow significantly before fleeing,” he said.

Real estate agent Zisi Kokotatsios leaves court on bail on Saturday. Picture: David Swift

“There can be no doubt the driver of the vehicle knew he had struck something.”

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Mr East was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard the 28-year-old lawyer had been “lying down on the street” at the moment of impact.

Police allege Mr Kokotatsios had been distracted because he was using his mobile phone while driving, so he didn’t see Mr East on the road.

“The accused did the wrong thing and, because of that, someone has died,” the police prosecutor said.

He alleged the rideshare driver did not stop to check on or assist the injured man, but instead kept driving.

Kokotatsios has been charged with using his mobile while driving.

He was also charged with driving while using a mobile phone last December.

“If he had stopped and had a look, he would have seen a person laying there dying,” the prosecutor said.

He noted the 63-year-old had been charged with using his mobile phone while driving in December last year, which he claimed showed a pattern of disregard for road safety.

However, Mr Kokotatsios’ lawyer Mohamad Sakr argued police “lack substantial evidence” to prove his client was illegally using his mobile phone, which was held in a permitted holster.

He rejected the prosecutor’s claim that the case against his client was “compelling”, arguing there were a number of “issues” and “definite concerns” with the prosecution’s case.

“It’s accepted Mr Kokotatsios hit something,” he said.

“We don’t know … that it was in fact my client that killed this young man.”

Kokotatsios leaving court with personal items handed in when he was taken into custody. Picture: David Swift

Mr Sakr questioned whether the police had viable evidence about whether Mr Kokotatsios’ actions “did in fact cause death”.

He said the alleged victim had posed a risk to himself by lying on the ground, and claimed his client would have stopped to render aid if he knew he had hit a person.

The court heard the rideshare driver relies on glasses sometimes when driving.

The magistrate agreed there were “difficulties” with the prosecution’s case related to the cause of Mr East’s death and “what (Mr Kokotatsios) was doing when he was driving”.

“That’s all for another day,” he said.

He granted the rideshare driver bail under strict conditions, which require him to report to police once a week and not to approach any point of international departure.

The 63-year-old will return to court in May over charges of failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, dangerous driving occasioning death – drive manner dangerous, negligent driving (occasioning death) and driver use mobile phone when not permitted

Man charged over lawyer’s death in alleged hit-run

On Friday, Zisi Kokotatsios, 63, from Bexley handed himself into Granville police station about 11am.

Police had originally arrived on the scene at Fletcher St, Tamarama about 4am Sunday after reports a man had been struck by a car.

That man, Harvard-educated New Zealand national Mitch East, died of his injuries at the scene.

On Wednesday Mr East’s heartbroken mother spoke of her pain after learning her only son had been killed at the weekend.

Mr East had been living in Sydney with his girlfriend at the time.

He moved to Australia after studying at Harvard.

“I died when he died,” Mr East’s mother told NZ publication Stuff.

“The pain is unbearable.”

His family had flown into Sydney early this week after learning of the tragedy.

The scene after Mr East was found unconscious on Sunday morning. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

A 63-year-old has now been charged over his death. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Mr East had been working in Sydney for the past two years for major law firm Bloch Leibler having studied at the prestigious Harvard Law School.

A GoFundMe campaign has already raised more than $100,000

“(Mitch) was known and will always be remembered for his hilarious yet kind nature and his incredible ability to befriend everyone he met,” Mr East’s friend Kane Dunkley said wrote in the online fundraiser.

Police released CCTV footage this week of a white Subaru SUV they believed was involved in the incident.

Kokotatsios is due to appear before Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday morning.

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