Accused warned of rampage

ACCUSED Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas warned he would run people down in Melbourne’s CBD as police pursued him in the lead up to the rampage, a court has heard.

Mr Gargasoulas, 28, told his girlfriend, who was earlier in the car with him during the pursuit: “I swear if they catch up to me, I’m going to run everybody down in the city.”

Text messages between him and a detective giving chase also reveal the police’s desperate attempts to stop him on January 20 last year.

“I’m telling you, you are making a big mistake,” Senior Constable Murray Gentner messaged him at 1.19pm “Please stop,” a 1.23pm message read, before another at 1.27pm: “Don’t do this.”

Soon after Mr Gargasoulas was doing burnouts outside Flinders St train station.

One witness said he heard him taunting police.

He then allegedly sped up Swanston St, veering on to the footpath before turning left on to Bourke St Mall.

“The accused deliberately drove his car towards people who were unable to get out of his way,” prosecutor Kerri Judd QC told the Supreme Court jury yesterday.

Mr Gargasoulas had earlier replied to Sen-Constable Gentner’s messages telling him everyone was going to die.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including six counts of murder and 27 of reckless conduct endangering life.

Lawyer Theo Alexander told the jury it was an “unusual case” as Mr Gargasoulas was not disputing the facts.

Mr Alexander said the accused wanted to give his “very important reasons” for why he did it.

The trial, before Justice Mark Weinberg, continues.