Comanchero bikie gang leader Tarek Zahed in court over Crown Casino fight

Comanchero bikie gang leader Tarek Zahed likes his high end fashion labels — but he has drawn police attention for another reason.

Comancheros bikie gang leader Tarek Zahed in Balenciaga. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Comanchero bikie gang leader Tarek Zahed likes his high end fashion labels so much that he once publicly corrected the record so that everyone knew he was wearing Versace.

But police allege he was dressed in a different high-end fashion label during a brawl at one of Sydney’s most exclusive restaurants inside the Crown Casino complex on January 16.

Tarek Zahed at Downing Centre courts last September. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Bianca De Marchi

CCTV footage was played in Central Local Court on Wednesday that showed the gang’s sergeant at arms wearing a t-shirt bearing the logo of luxury French fashion label, Balenciaga, when he was involved in a wild affray at the high-end Italian eatery a’Mare.

It was a different set of threads from January 21 when Zahed emerged from the Downing Centre Local Court on a different set of criminal charges to announce to journalists that he wanted the public to know he was wearing a Versace, not Gucci.

In court on Wednesday, Zahed was granted bail after being charged with affray over the brawl.

He was also charged with entering a casino after being excluded.

His lawyer Mohammad Chahine — who represents criminal heavy weights Bilal Haouchar and Ahmad Doudar — also convinced Magistrate Robert Williams to allow him to communicate with his legal team over the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp as part of his bail conditions.

The police prosecutor told the court the victim in the matter has so far refused to give a statement and asked for bail to be refused.

But Zahed’s barrister Greg James QC told the court his client was unlikely to go to jail if convicted.

Tarek Zahed leaving the Downing Centre courts on January 21. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

According to a police fact sheet tendered to court, Zahed was with 28 associates — who had criminal histories ranging from drug supply and firearm offences — at the restaurant for birthday celebration dinner.

The victim of the alleged assault, Mohamed Aouli, was seated at a table about 10 metres away for a separate birthday celebration in a private room.

At 8.25pm, police allege Zahed entered the private room and gestured to Aouli who then followed him towards the bathrooms.

The pair had a heated conversation in the doorway, causing two men in the bathroom to leave immediately, the document said.

Police said a Pacific Islander male watched the conversation that was becoming increasingly heated with confrontational body language.

“Suddenly and without any provocation”, Zahed collected Aouli with a right hook to the face, causing him to stumble out of the restroom, the fact sheet said.

At this point, the Pacific Islander positioned himself “behind Aouli” and “begins to push him back into the rest room and closes the door behind them,” the document said.

Two of Zahed’s associates guarded the corridor, police allege.

At 8.59pm, security guards attended the restaurant and questioned Zahed about the alleged incident.

He denied anything had occurred and refused to hand over identification when requested.

Police allege Zahed then attended Crown Sydney in contravention of an order banning him from casinos on May 23, 2019.

Zahed was ordered to report to police once a day and will appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on March 3.