Man accused over fatal Baulkham Hills crash complains about prison food
The alleged hit and run driver accused of fleeing after a fatal crash that killed a 12-year-old boy has complained Silverwater jail food tastes like “snot”. John Pagakis’ mother says her son is not happy in prison and “has lost his privileges”.
The alleged hit and run driver accused of fleeing after a fatal crash that killed a 12-year-old boy has complained Silverwater jail food tastes like “snot”.
Labourer John Pagakis, 34, who allegedly crashed into six stationary cars in Baulkham Hills, told his mother during a visit at the correctional complex: “I hate jail, the food in here is runny and tastes like snot.”
“Yiannis (John) has lost so much weight, he says the meals are inedible, he’s so skinny, he’s used to eating fresh vegetables and meat every day,” Demetra Pagakis, 55, told The Daily Telegraph.
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“He’s not happy in there, he shares a cell with another inmate and has lost his privileges.
“I visited him yesterday, he’s in an ugly overall that ties up with string at the back, the vending machine takes your money and doesn’t work, it’s awful,” Mrs Pagakis added.
Pagakis clambered out of his mangled Holden Commodore which had been allegedly speeding when it smashed into a Holden Captiva carrying a young family as he exited the M2 on March 2 about 7pm.
He is alleged to have fled the scene on foot until he reached his mother’s home in Narraweena at 2.30am.
She confirmed her son had been “run-walking” for more than seven hours.
He arrived at the family home, 35km away, at 2.30am.
Police arrested him half an hour later.
“He ran-walked for around seven hours,” Mrs Pagakis said.
“He won’t talk about the dead kid, he said he can’t bring himself to think about it. He wants to know why his girlfriend hasn’t visited him.”
Pagakis, a road worker, is accused of speeding and striking the stationery Holden Captiva in which the family was travelling as he exited the M2 in Baulkham Hills about 7pm on March 3.
The car, in turn, shunted five stationary vehicles.
A boy travelling in the back of the Holden Captiva died at the scene, while a 36-year-old woman and a five-year-old girl were taken to Westmead Hospital critical.
They have since been discharged and are recovering at home.
The driver, a 38-year-old man, escaped unscathed.
Mr Pagakis, in custody after his bail was refused, is facing 10 charges including dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a crash, and aggravated dangerous driving causing death.
It is understood he had been driving to meet his new girlfriend for a dinner date in Bossley Park.
His girlfriend today she was ‘too sick” to visit him.
“I don’t know if I will get round to it,” she said.
Pagakis was eventually tracked down after an extensive police search involving PolAir and dog units.
The driver of another car, a 65-year-old man, and his passenger, a 58-year-old woman, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The crash happened when the Commodore, travelling on the westbound M2 off ramp, hit a median strip and crossed the northbound lanes of Windsor Rd before becoming airborne and hitting a second median strip and striking a stationary Land Rover Defender and Holden Captiva.
He is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on 2 May.
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