Australian man jailed for life over Melbourne car rampage that killed six
An Australian man has been jailed for life for killing six people during a car rampage in January 2017, in what the judge described as "one of the worst examples of mass murder" in the country’s history.
29-year-old James Gargasoulas drove a stolen car into pedestrians in Melbourne’s city centre, mowing down dozens of people. As well as the six fatalities, 27 people were injured.
Among his victims was three-month-old Zachary Bryant, who was thrown 60 metres from his pram and 10-year-old, Thalia Makin. Jess Mudie, 22, Yosuke Kanno, 25, Bhavita Patel, 33, and Matthew Si, 33, were also killed.
Gargasoulas, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was experiencing a drug-induced psychosis when he drove into lunchtime crowds at the busy Bourke St. Mall.
On Friday, Judge Mark Weinberg said he had shown "no genuine remorse" for perpetrating one of the worst massacres in Australian history.
"You made no attempt to avoid people or to slow down. You simply ploughed through them, quite deliberately," Justice Weinberg said when giving the sentence.
Gargasoulas was convicted unanimously in November after pleading not guilty but later admitting that he carried out the attack. In rambling testimony, he blamed "government oppression" for his actions but also said that he had received a divine sign from God that was instructing him to drive into pedestrians.
The judge ordered Gargasoulas to serve at least 46 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
“The horror of what you did has profoundly impacted the lives of those who were present that day, I must ensure that the public are adequately protected from you” he said.
Prosecutors had asked for a life sentence without any possibility of release but the judge said he had considered factors including Gargasoulas’s mental health in deciding his eligibility for parole.
In a statement through their lawyers, Gargasoulas’ victims said the sentence was “not harsh enough” and “are looking forward to the inquest to shed light on past mistakes and to enforce changes that are needed".
After the rampage the city installed concrete bollards and added more security around the mall, but three months ago it was hit by a terrorism-related vehicular attack in which one person was killed.