Former actual property employee and present rideshare driver Zisi Kokatatsios, 63, is accused of being behind a suspected hit-and-run that killed 28-year-old New Zealand-born East in Tamarama final Sunday.
He was charged yesterday with quite a lot of driving offences, together with failing to cease and help after an accident, harmful driving inflicting demise, reckless driving inflicting demise and utilizing a cell phone when not permitted.
As we speak, he remained silent outdoors courtroom, however apologized to East’s household by means of his lawyer.
Lawyer Mohamed Saqr stated: “He apologizes for this case.”
“He’s not confessing at this stage and I feel the query of the day is whether or not he poses a threat to the neighborhood – and it has been assessed that he doesn’t pose a threat.”
Police allege Kokotatsios was on his approach to choose up a shopper and take him to the airport at 4am final Sunday.
He was allegedly speaking on his cellphone when he ran over the lawyer, who was already mendacity on the street.
The prosecution stated: “An audible crash may very well be heard… The automotive slowed down earlier than taking off… If he had stopped, he would have seen somebody mendacity there dying.”
Kokotatsios’ lawyer didn’t deny that his shopper knew he had hit one thing, however stated he would have stopped if he had identified he had hit somebody.
Saqr stated: “He continued his work… If he had identified that he had hit somebody, he would have stopped the younger man and supplied him assist and help.”
The protection informed the courtroom at present there have been quite a lot of points within the police case towards Kokotatsios, together with an absence of considerable proof that he was utilizing his cell phone illegally, saying it had been positioned in a permitted case.
The 63-year-old has been launched on bail and can seem in courtroom once more in Might.
