Dimitrious Gargasoulas 'too unwell' to appear in court

Dimitrious Gargasoulas 'too unwell' to appear in court

ACCUSED murderer Dimi­trious “Jimmy” Gargasoulas was wanted over a string of dangerous driving charges when he was freed by a bail justice days before the Bourke St massacre, court documents allege.

The explosive allegations are detailed in court documents released after Mr Gargasoulas was on Monday charged with five counts of murder.

The documents reveal Mr Gargasoulas had outstanding warrants for more than 20 charges for a string of alleged offending between April last year and January 10 when he was bailed at an out-of-sessions hearing on January 14.

Among them was a charge for breaching bail by allegedly failing to appear at court in April and charges relating to a near-deadly police pursuit in November.

He was facing a string of charges for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police, smashing a taxi windscreen and the theft of three motor vehicles and an EFTPOS machine. Charge sheets tendered to the court allege that, on November 19, he was involved in a police pursuit down the wrong side of St Kilda Rd.

The incident “may have placed person/s in danger of death,” charge sheets allege.

It is not known if the bail justice was made aware of the alleged offences when giving Mr Gargasoulas bail on January 14.

Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday heard warrants for some of the matters were executed following the 26-year-old’s arrest on Friday.

Mr Gargasoulas allegedly stabbed his brother before taking his girlfriend hostage on Friday, doing burnouts in his car outside Flinders St station and then mowing down dozens of people in Bourke St.

He refused to appear at court for a brief administrative hearing on Monday.

He is due back in court in August.

Even then he will only appear via videolink and will not step inside a courtroom until next year.

He will remain in custody while police and prosecutors build their case against him.

The police investigation is likely to take months.

Investigators are still trying to work out the exact locations where each victim was hit.

Mr Gargasoulas, of ­Wind­sor, was taken to the Magistrates’ Court hours after being taken from hospital for a formal police interview.

But he refused to be brought into court, citing ill health, and instead remained in custody cells below the court building.

His lawyer told the court Mr Gargasoulas was too unwell to appear in person.

Mr Gargasoulas had surgery on Saturday for a gunshot wound suffered when police arrested him after the CBD rampage.

There were no family members of either Mr Gargasoulas or his alleged victims, or any witnesses, in court for the brief hearing.

Prosecutors asked for extra time, an extraordinarily long nine months, to prepare their brief of evidence.

The court heard the extra time was because of the “unprecedented” nature of the case.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic set an earlier than normal committal mention date. Mr Gargasoulas will return to court on August 1 for a special mention.

He is expected to appear via videolink on that occasion and on December 15 at a committal mention hearing.

shannon.deery@news.com.au