Bourke Street murderer James Gargasoulas has been sentenced to life in prison for killing six people and injuring 27 others when he drove his car through pedestrians two years ago.

Key points: James Gargasoulas was sentenced to six life terms for murder

James Gargasoulas was sentenced to six life terms for murder He can apply for parole in 46 years

He can apply for parole in 46 years The judge described the Bourke Street rampage as one of the worst mass murders in Australian history

Justice Mark Weinberg set a non-parole period of 46 years for what he described as a "callous and cowardly act", after sentencing Gargasoulas to six life terms for murder.

Prosecutors had argued for a life sentence without any prospect of release, but the judge said he had considered factors including Gargasoulas's mental health in determining his eligibility for parole.

In the lead-up to the CBD rampage in January 2017, Gargasoulas had spoken of "mowing people down" on at least three occasions, the court heard.

Justice Weinberg rejected the notion that Gargasoulas was oblivious to what was going on around him as he drove through the city, despite the fact he was in a drug-induced psychosis at the time.

"You knew full well what you were doing," Justice Weinberg said.

"You knew that, by your actions, you were likely to kill or seriously injure those who happened to be in your path."

Justice Weinberg described Gargasoulas as a "persistent law-breaker", with a criminal history that included acts of dishonesty and violence dating back to 2008.

He also noted that Gargasoulas had five children to three different women, but was "effectively homeless" and sleeping in his car at the time of the rampage.

During last year's trial, the court heard police had been tailing Gargasoulas for 12 hours before he drove into the busy pedestrian mall at lunchtime on January 20.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 23 seconds 23 s CCTV footage shows pedestrians running as Gargasoulas drives down the footpath

In the hours before the rampage, police had repeatedly tried to get him to stop via calls to his mobile phone and text messages.

In sentencing, Justice Weinberg described the attack as "one of the worst examples of mass murder in Australian history".

"It was entirely fortuitous that you did not kill or injure many more," he said.

"You made no attempt to avoid people, or to slow down. You simply ploughed through them, as I have said, quite deliberately.

"You left a trail of destruction behind you."

'The sentence is not harsh enough'

In November last year, a jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Gargasoulas guilty of six counts of murder and 27 charges of reckless conduct endangering life.

During the trial, CCTV was played to the court, which showed his victims walking along the footpath, oblivious to the car approaching behind them.

"You made no attempt to stop or slow down — you simply ploughed through them," Justice Weinberg said.

Following the sentencing, lawyer Genna Angelowitsch read a statement from Melinda Tan, the widow of Matthew Poh Chuan Si.

The 33-year-old architect was killed while on his way back to work after having lunch with Ms Tan.

The statement said:

"There is no excuse for murder. "If you are a danger to society you should never be allowed to roam freely. "The sentence is not harsh enough. "Our family hopes that no one will ever have to suffer a similar fate as those who lost their loved ones and will continue to struggle with survival. "We are looking forward to the inquest to shed light on past mistakes and to enforce changes that are needed."

Ms Angelowitsch said the statement also reflected the sentiments of Bryant family, who lost their baby son Zachary Matthew-Bryant.

'I'm not evil,' Gargasoulas told court

At the end of a three-day plea hearing last month, Gargasoulas read from a handwritten letter.



"I am deeply ashamed of what I've done. I must say it is a tragic day for all of you and myself," he said.

His address to the court lasted 20 minutes and was at times rambling and incoherent as he talked about government oppression, God's Law, and how God had kept him safe that day.

"I'm not evil, I'm not a terrorist — I'm a freedom fighter," the 29-year-old said.

Gargasoulas offered a partial apology to his victims in a letter he read out in court. ( Supplied: Supreme Court of Victoria )

In that hearing, the prosecution described Gargasoulas's "unspeakable disregard for the sanctity of life".

"Like the unspeakable crimes committed by Martin Bryant at Port Arthur, Bourke Street, Melbourne, will never be the same again," the prosecution's submission to the court said.

The prosecution argued "no parole period should be imposed in this case".

Gargasoulas will be eligible for parole in 2065.

Justice Weinberg acknowledged that since January 2017, Gargasoulas had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

The court heard a doctor said he was suffering from paranoid delusional beliefs at the time.

But Justice Weinberg concluded Gargasoulas's "offending was primarily the product of your addiction to ice".

Bourke Street driver James Gargasoulas has been jailed after being found guilty of murdering six pedestrians and recklessly injuring another 27. ( AAP: David Crosling )

Gargasoulas was on bail for driving and violent offences at the time and was due to attend Melbourne Magistrates' Court on the day of his deadly driving rampage.

"Bad as your criminal record is, I do not regard your past history as making it inappropriate to fix a non-parole period," Justice Weinberg said.

He said he also took into account Gargasoulas's relatively young age and the fact that he "did not challenge any of the facts" alleged against him during the trial.

"Your decision to allow the trial to proceed in that way meant that it was able to be completed within just a few days," he said.

"Importantly, it has spared many witnesses the ordeal of having to give evidence in a difficult and highly emotional setting."

But he said the main consideration was Gargasoulas's current mental condition, which he said could mean being in jail "would weigh more heavily" on him than a person in normal health.

Grief-stricken parents told court of pain

The court received more than 50 victim impact statements.

Bourke Street victims: Yosuke Kanno: 25-year-old student from Japan. He had just been to lunch with a friend when he was struck

25-year-old student from Japan. He had just been to lunch with a friend when he was struck Jessica Mudie: 22-year-old insurance consultant from Sydney who was in Melbourne for a business meeting. She was returning from lunch with colleagues.

22-year-old insurance consultant from Sydney who was in Melbourne for a business meeting. She was returning from lunch with colleagues. Matthew Poh Chuan Si: 33-year-old architect and father of an 18-month-old daughter. He had just been to lunch with his wife.

33-year-old architect and father of an 18-month-old daughter. He had just been to lunch with his wife. Bhavita Patel: 33-year-old accountant. She had been to lunch with colleagues.

33-year-old accountant. She had been to lunch with colleagues. Thalia Hakin: 10-year-old primary school student. She was on her way to a circus show with her mother and sister.

10-year-old primary school student. She was on her way to a circus show with her mother and sister. Zachary Matthew-Bryant: The 3-month-old was in a pram with his sister when he was struck.

Zachary Matthew-Bryant was three months old when he died after being ejected from the pram he was sharing with his two-year-old sister, Zara.

Their pram was hit by Gargasoulas's car as it sped along the footpath and became lodged in the windscreen of the car.

Parents Matthew Bryant and Nawwar Hassan-Bryant described having to turn off their baby's life support.

"I listened to his heartbeat and held him for the last time trying desperately to hold onto the moment," Mr Bryant said in his victim impact statement.

"He had a lifetime of firsts taken from him and all the joys that come with it."

Japanese student Yosuke Kanno's parents, Masayuki and Minako Kanno, travelled to Melbourne for the plea hearing, and expressed regret that they had allowed the 25-year-old to move to the city for study.

Yosuke Kanno (left) and Jess Mudie's families were among those who gave statements at the trial. ( Supplied )

They said through an interpreter that the family had "come to perceive Melbourne as an unsafe city".

"We continue to live our days in deep pain and sorrow … because we have lost our beloved son," they said.

The family of Jessica Mudie, killed three weeks before her 23rd birthday, also addressed the court.

The insurance consultant from Sydney was visiting Melbourne on business and had been to lunch with colleagues when she was struck and killed.

Her twin sister, Emily, described "a hole where Jess is missing" in the family.

"I feel a crush of sadness and emptiness … I hate talking about her in the past tense," she said.

Mitesh Patel, the brother of Bhavita Patel, spoke of introducing his fiancee to his sister while she was in a coma, and how he had changed since Ms Patel's death.

He said he was "a broken version of myself".

"I still can't see a way back to that man."

Accountant Bhavita Patel was remembered as an "oustanding" member of Deloitte's national advisory team. ( Facebook )

Gargasoulas targeted pram: prosecutors

Twenty-seven people were injured in the few minutes it took Gargasoulas to wreak terror in one of the city's busiest streets.

Scott Van Bronswijk was with Ms Mudie and other work colleagues that lunchtime.

"As I lay on the footpath for over an hour … I initially had to consider if I was dying and … would I see my wife again," he said.

Zachary Matthew-Bryant (right) was killed in the attack and his sister Zara was badly injured. ( Supplied )

Defence submissions to the court argued that Gargasoulas was not aiming at individuals when he drove his car on the footpath.

"It is accepted that he had no regard for any of the pedestrians in the path of his vehicle," the submission shows.

His defence team rejected prosecution claims that Gargasoulas moved his car one metre to deliberately make contact with the pram that Zachary Matthew-Bryant and his sister were in.

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"Rather, he did not swerve or slow to avoid it," the defence submission stated.

The defence team acknowledged Gargasoulas's "disordered state of mind" in pleading not guilty, but then apologising to victims during the trial.

While the defence said Gargasoulas has shown regret and remorse, "on the other hand, he maintains that the offences occurred because of a divine mission and the deluded belief that he is the saviour of mankind".

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