40: The Bourke Street Massacre, Part 03

Obscura: A True Crime Podcast

Justin Drown

True Crime, Personal Journals, History, Documentary, News, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2021

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In late 2018, James Gargasoulas was found guilty of six counts of murder, for running down pedestrians almost 2 years earlier in Melbourne’s Bourke Street mall during the busy lunch hour. Questions had been raised as to whether James would be fit to stand trial based on a subsequent mental health diagnosis and his long history of frequent drug use. Thankfully for the victims’ families, justice had been done. Partly, anyway. But they had no way of knowing how James’ mental health and other mitigating factors would affect his sentence. At the same time, the victims’ families had another fight on their hands. Victoria Police were now firmly in the glare of the media spotlight over their questionable judgement and decision making in the 12 hours leading up to the massacre - key decisions which failed to result in James being arrested for earlier stabbing his brother. But it was uncertain whether senior police would be held accountable by the coroner for how their critical incident management protocols did - or didn’t - protect the public when it mattered.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listener, I'm glad you're here.
0:05.7	Take a seat next to the fire.
1:05.7	Last time on Obscura, you heard part two of our story.
1:10.3	In late January 2017, during the typically busy lunch hour in the Melbourne CBD, 27-year-old
1:18.4	James Gargosulus drove along the footpath of multiple blocks of Berk Street, killing
1:23.9	six unsuspecting people and injuring many more.
1:28.4	The aftermath of his rampage left the people of Melbourne stunned in grieving, as details
1:33.6	of the lead up to the carnage emerged.
1:36.3	The public and victims' families were outraged.
1:39.6	Police had been telling James for 12 hours before the massacre.
1:43.7	As he taunted them and led law enforcement on a wild goose chase, around the suburbs
1:48.2	after stabbing his brother.
1:49.8	And he was out on bail at the time.
1:53.7	During the trial, James was diagnosed with both anti-social and narcissistic personality
1:58.8	disorders.
1:59.8	But this didn't influence the jury's decision to convict him on six counts of murder.
2:05.8	Thankfully for the victims' families, justice had been done.
2:09.7	Partly, anyway, by this stage the Victorian government had made announcements regarding
2:15.3	bail reform, especially as bail laws related to violent offenders.
2:19.9	But the families had no way of knowing how James meant to health and other mitigating
2:24.6	factors would affect his sentence.
2:28.0	Our story picks back up in late January 2019, two months after the verdict.
	...

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