Christopher Joannidis sentenced to three years prison for Strathmerton collision which killed five people

The killer driver who picked up a speeding ticket moments before causing Victoria’s worst tragedy in more than a decade has been jailed.

Christopher Joannidis and his partner Eleanor Theebom arrive at court after he killed five people in a crash involving his Mercedes, a ute, and a B-double truck in Strathmerton in April 2023. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

A killer driver who picked up a speeding ticket just moments before he caused the deaths of five people has been jailed.

Christopher Dillon Joannidis was sentenced to three years prison in the County Court on January 23.

Joannidis pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving after he failed to give way at the notorious intersection of the Murray Valley Hwy and Labuan Rd on April 20, 2023.

After going past crucial rumble strips and multiple give way signs, Joannidis’ Mercedes C180 sedan T-boned a Nissan Navara, which spun and rolled into the path of an oncoming milk tanker, crushing the Navara beyond recognition.

The five people inside the Nissan – Deborah Markey, 62 and overseas workers Pin-Yu Wang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Wai-Yan Lam and Zih-Yao Chen — were instantly killed.

Joannidis’ front-seat passenger, Eleanor Theeboom, his partner at the time, survived the collision.

Milk tanker driver Andrew McClusky suffered injuries in the collision.

The now 31-year-old had been intercepted by Cobram highway patrol officers just moments before the horrific collision and given a ticket for doing 118km/h in a 100km/h zone.

In body worn footage played to the court, the police warned Joannidis of the region’s horrific recent road toll.

Joannidis drove off, but barely a minute later the same police that pulled Joannidis over “heard on the radio” there had been a collision between a truck and two cars and attended the crime scene.

Joannidis’ car after the horror collision. Picture: Ian Currie

In sentencing Joannidis, Judge Gavan Meredith said missing the various warning signs and rumble strips was “not merely an example of momentary inattention”.

“You had been warned (by police) there were fatal accidents in the area as a result of people failing to pay attention to give way and stop signs,” Judge Meredith said.

“Your driving has ended the lives of five people and occurred in circumstances where you had effectively been warned.”

The court heard Joannidis had a difficult upbringing and his mother suffered a stroke when he was young.
He regularly drank alcohol from the age of 14 and “developed a problem with alcohol” in his mid-20s.

The court heard Joannidis suffered from suicidal thoughts from a relatively young age.

Joannidis was drinking half a bottle of spirits in the aftermath of the collision, the court heard.

He was on the way to a wedding — where he was due to be best man — before the collision occurred.

Cobram’s Deborah Markey was killed in the horror collision. Source: Facebook

Before the sentencing of Joannidis, forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Carroll gave evidence in court, where it was heard Joannidis suffered from a range of mental health issues including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Joannidis’ OCD resulted in a “compulsive need to wash his hands” and if he did not achieve certain things “he has a strong sense of having failed in some way”, Dr Carroll said.

The court heard Joannidis OCD had worsened since being remanded into custody in November.

The wreckage from Victoria’s deadliest collision in more than a decade. Picture: Ian Currie

Officers at the scene of the collision in Strathmerton which resulted in the deaths of five people. Picture: Ian Currie

“The rationale side of his mind was giving up the ghost,” Dr Carroll said.

“He’s flagging suicidal thoughts at the moment.”

Dr Carroll concluded that prison could worsen Joannidis’ mental health diseases.

Defence lawyer Paul Smallwood told the court that “jail for him (Joannidis)” would be very different for someone who did not suffer from OCD.

The intersection Joannidis ploughed through resulting in the deaths of five people. Picture: Ian Currie

Mr Smallwood said his client had shown remorse and pleaded guilty at an early stage.

“His prospects of rehabilitation are favourable,” Mr Smallwood said.

Mr Smallwood conceded that there were “aggravating factors” in Joannidis case, which included missing crucial warning signs and rumble strips in the lead up to the intersection.

Prosecutor Daniel Porceddu told the court that Ms Theebom – a learner driver at the time – gave evidence saying she “admitted to feeling the rumble strips”.

Mr Porceddu argued Joannidis’ moral culpability was heightened as a result of the warning just moments earlier by Cobram police.

“He understands what he was being told (on the body worn footage) and a couple of minutes later did precisely against what he was told (by police),” Mr Porceddu said.
Joannidis will serve a maximum of five years and six months in prison, having already served 59 days behind bars.

His licence was cancelled for three years.