January 2017 Melbourne car attack

The maroon Holden Commodore sedan used in the attack was stolen from his mother's partner who lived in the same block of flats as Gargasoulas.[1] Upon being interviewed, the car owner alleged that on the night of 18 January 2017, Gargasoulas entered his flat with a Bible, sat down, started burning it and threw it into his face. After this, he said that he flicked it on the floor and was then punched by Gargasoulas.[7]

In the early hours of 20 January 2017, Gargasoulas used methamphetamine at his mother's flat in Windsor and then attacked his brother in the street stabbing him in the head and chest with a knife leaving him in a critical condition.[1][7] He later took his pregnant girlfriend hostage; she was later released in South Wharf.[8]

Gargasoulas was captured on footage driving and behaving erratically at the intersection of Flinders Street, St Kilda Road and Swanston Street, outside the entrance to Flinders Street railway station. Two men, Year 12 student Tevita Mahina and his cousin Isaac Tupou, attempted to stop him, hitting the windscreen with a baseball bat. The driver continued northbound up Swanston St's western-side footpath at speed towards the Bourke Street Mall, turned left onto Bourke Street's southern-side footpath and struck more than 20 pedestrians. The vehicle was stopped near AMP Square at 555 Bourke Street by a combination of mechanical failure and from being rammed by the Victoria Police Critical Incident Response Team.[9][1][10] Police officers tasered and shot the driver in the arm during his arrest.[10][1] A child and two adults died at the scene,[11] another man died in hospital before the end of the day, and a three-month-old baby boy died the next day in the evening.[12] A sixth person died on 30 January.[13]

Floral tributes to victims of the attack at a memorial at the Western end of the Bourke Street Mall.

Among the victims was a 10-year-old girl, who died on 20 January 2017,[14] as well as a three-month-old baby boy who died on 21 January. The others were a 25-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man, and a 33-year-old woman.[15][16][13]

A memorial for the victims was held in Federation Square on 23 January[17] and floral tributes were left by members of the public at nine locations along the Bourke Street Mall.[18] On 30 January it was announced that a permanent memorial garden would be established, and that donations approaching AU$1,000,000 had been made to the Bourke Street Fund for the families of the victims.[19] On 31 January, the inorganic tributes were removed from the mall for storage by the Melbourne City Council. This collection was subsequently handed over to the State Library Victoria.[20] The floral tributes were taken for composting for the Victims of Crime memorial near State Parliament.[21]

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton confirmed that 26-year-old Dimitrious "James" Gargasoulas[22][23] had previously been remanded into custody and was known to police for having a history of illicit drug use, family violence, and mental health problems.[24]

In the days before the attack, Gargasoulas began to post messages on Facebook about "religion, God, Satan, heaven and hell", which writers for The Age described as "rambling and often nonsensical".[7]

Gargasoulas' father told Seven News "he's not the Jimmy I used to know" and that he would "scratch his son off his books", while his mother told News.com.au she was ashamed to be his mum, and she wanted her son to "die in hell".[25]

Police reported that the perpetrator had no links to terrorist activity but had an extensive criminal history linked to family violence.[23] He had a history of being involved in police pursuits, including court cases in 2013 and 2014, and was involved in a pursuit in November 2016.[1]

On Monday 23 January, Gargasoulas was interviewed by the Homicide Squad and subsequently charged with five counts of murder at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. His defence lawyer advised the court he was too unwell to be present in the courtroom, with the Magistrate excusing him from having to be present for future hearings due to his health, remanding him custody.[49]

In April and May 2017, at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Gargasoulas made claims such as "Muslim faith is the correct faith according to the whole world," "I am the saviour," "I was under extreme stress, which caused me to have a mental breakdown," "[L]ife is being controlled by the government," and "I'm very saddened by everything that's happened, but it's due to the Illuminati."[5]

In December 2017, Gargasoulas pleaded not guilty to 39 charges, including six counts of murder, and waived his right to a committal hearing in the Magistrates' Court and was therefore committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.[50]

In March 2018, Gargasoulas pleaded not guilty to all charges in the Supreme Court. His defence lawyers made a submission that given his current mental state he was unfit to stand trial and advised the court that they were awaiting further medical reports. Justice Lasry criticised the three-month delay in holding a hearing to determine his fitness.[51]

In June 2018, a Supreme Court jury was empanelled to decide if Gargasoulas was fit to stand trial.[52]

In October 2018, the Supreme Court jury found Gargasoulas was fit to stand trial despite being diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic.[53][54]

In November 2018, Gargasoulas was found guilty of six counts of murder and 27 counts of reckless conduct endangering life.[55][1] Medical experts were of the opinion that on the day of the offence he was suffering from a drug-induced psychosis with paranoid delusional beliefs and was found to have Amphetamine-type substances, Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines in his system.[1] However, he was still aware of his actions and the consequences, that it would be considered to be wrongful and that he had the ability to skilfully avoid fixed obstacles whilst driving.[1] Justice Weinberg found that he developed paranoid schizophrenia subsequent to the offence.[1]

On 21 January 2017, the State Coroner announced an inquest would be held which would investigate the decision to release Gargasoulas on bail, his conduct prior to the incident, his previous involvement with police and the police pursuit.[56] In July 2017, as preparation was underway to hold an inquest, the Coroner adjourned the inquest until the conclusion of the criminal trial following a submission from Counsel Assisting the Coroner that to hold an inquest would create a risk of "compromising the criminal proceedings and the rights of the accused to a fair trial".[57][58] In April 2019, inquest preparation recommenced with the holding of a directions hearing.[59]

Between November 2019 and February 2020, a 31-day inquest into the incident was held. The inquest detailed issues such as police procedures, communications, and decisions made on the day of the attack. On 19 November 2020, Coroner Jacqui Hawkins released a finding which was scathing of Victoria Police's handling of the incident, saying that efforts to negotiate with Gargasoulas amounted to 'nothing more than two phone calls and bizarre text messages'.[60][61]

• Vehicle-ramming attack
• Timeline of major crimes in Australia
• December 2017 Melbourne car attack