Loading More than 100 people packed the courtroom for the sentencing as Justice Weinberg handed Gargasoulas six life sentences for the murders of three-month-old Zachary Bryant, Tahlia Hakin, 10, Jess Mudie, 23, Matthew Si, 33, Bhavita Patel, 33, and Yosuke Kanno, 25. Genna Angelowitsch, a lawyer representing relatives of five of the dead said the victim’s families would now push for a coronial inquest into the case to be fast-tracked to later this year. It’s expected to look into police operations and their dealings with Gargasoulas after it was revealed he’d been followed by police for several hours before running down pedestrians in Melbourne’s CBD. One elite unit ignored repeated pleas from colleagues to help arrest the motorist in St Kilda and Elsternwick almost nine hours before the tragedy.

When they finally approached with their guns drawn Gargasoulas escaped by pushing his then-girlfriend from the car and speeding off. Police began searching for Gargasoulas about 2.20am that day, an hour after he stabbed his brother Angelo outside a housing commission flat in Windsor. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Other police units later followed but lost sight of Gargasoulas multiple times as he travelled out to Yarraville then back into the CBD. Outside court on Friday afternoon, Ms Angelowitsch read a statement from Melinda Tan, the widow of Matthew Si.

"There is no excuse for murder. If you are a danger to society you should never be allowed to roam freely," the statement said. "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."

Silent and unmoved The corridors of the Supreme Court were cleared as 10 officers brought Gargasoulas to his sentencing about 10.20am on Friday. James Gargasoulas at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets, before he drove along Bourke Street on January 20, 2017. The 29-year-old sat silently throughout the hour-long hearing and appeared unmoved as his sentence was read out. The court heard he will be classified as a "serious violent offender" during his time in prison.

Loading "The horror of what you did has profoundly impacted the lives of those who were present that day," Justice Weinberg said, noting in detail the events of the "terrifying rampage" which included death, broken bones, head injuries and other serious damage. "I do not accept that you are genuinely remorseful," the judge said. "Your actions were both callous and cowardly." In November it took a Supreme Court jury less than an hour to unanimously find Gargasoulas guilty of his crimes. The jury found him guilty of six counts of murder along with 27 counts of reckless conduct endangering life, related to the pedestrians he injured.

On Friday, the families of his victims sat shoulder-to-shoulder during the lengthy sentencing united by their shared grief. Many cried as the details of their loved ones' injuries, both fatal and life-changing, were detailed including how bodies were broken and others flung through the air. James Gargasoulas leaves the Supreme Court on Friday after being jailed for at least 46 years. Credit:Eddie Jim "On January 20, 2017 you deliberately drove at high speed through a crowd of pedestrians in the central business district of Melbourne," Justice Weinberg said. "You murdered six young people and you also inflicted serious injury on others. This is one of the worst examples of mass murder in Australia’s history."

The court heard Gargasoulas’ killing spree only came to a halt between King and William streets due to a combination of mechanical failure and ramming by police. He was then Tasered to the right arm. A police officer talks with Gargasoulas after the rampage. Credit:Leigh Henningham "You left a trail of destruction," Justice Weinberg said. Dressed in a white shirt and dark slacks, Gargasoulas appeared coherent and engaged during the sentencing.

He only shook his head when the judge detailed his raging ice use in the lead up to his eventual arrest. "You were suffering from what's been loosely described as a drug-induced psychosis … a distorted perception of reality," the judge said. James Gargasoulas before the Bourke Street massacre. Credit:Facebook "A drug-induced psychosis is not a mental illness." In sentencing Gargasoulas to six life sentences, Justice Weinberg said there were few comparisons in Australia’s history that could be used to help conclude the appropriate jail time.

"You knew that your actions were likely to kill if not seriously injured many pedestrians and that did not faze you,’’ he said. "You knew full well what you were doing." The chaos on Bourke Street on Friday, January 20, 2017. Credit:Justin McManus ‘‘There were in total some 55 victim impact statements; unsurprisingly your crimes have had a shattering effect on countless lives. ‘‘Being present in this court listening to a day and a half of this was an agonising experience. ‘‘One cannot help be profoundly moved by the devastation.’’

Court heard of families' pain Grieving relatives recently told the court of their pain, with the brother of Japanese victim Yosuke Kanno saying he will "continue suffering from this until I die". Zachary's father, Matthew Bryant, spoke of the first experiences he would have shared with his son and his struggle to ensure memories of the precious moments they had together never fade. "I listened to his heart beat and held him for the last time ... not wanting to let him go," he told the court.

"The three months and 14 days I had with Zach were beautiful. "There is a loneliness to this loss." Gargasoulas has claimed he is not evil and was himself a victim of "government oppression" before he drove along Bourke Street. In a previous court hearing, he stood in the witness box where for 20 minutes he read a letter in which he apologised "from my heart for taking the lives of your loved ones".

But he went on to blame the government for his actions. "I am not evil. I am not a terrorist. I am a freedom fighter who is now educated to stop oppression," he said. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Witnesses of the carnage have detailed the ongoing struggles they all face, with the sounds of helicopters, large crowds and busy traffic still haunting many. Last month, Crown prosecutors told the court Gargasoulas, who has been diagnosed with treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia, should never be released from jail.

They revealed his lengthy criminal history between 2009 and 2014, when Gargasoulas faced nearly two dozen violence-related charges including assaulting police, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault, driving offences and aggravated burglary. On at least two occasions he had escaped from police. His rampage along Bourke Street showed "unspeakable disregard" for the sanctity of human life, the prosecution has previously said. "In his attempt to evade and disrupt his imminent capture and arrest, the prisoner drove through the most populous part of the Melbourne CBD on the pavement and through the Bourke Street Mall at a time when it was likely to be very crowded with children, tourists, shoppers and office workers," Crown prosecutors said. "Like the unspeakable crimes committed by Martin Bryant at Port Arthur, Bourke Street, Melbourne, will never be the same again."