Haralambos Tsigeletos accused of running red light in Epping again
A driver who allegedly caused another man’s death when he ran a red light in Epping was out on bail when police spotted him driving through another red light in the same suburb, a court has heard. And when they arrested him, things got even worse.
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A man accused of causing another man’s death by driving through a red light has since been accused of driving a stolen car through another red light.
Police argued Haralambos ‘Harly’ Tsigeletos, 24, was an unacceptable risk to the public’s safety when he applied for bail before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 20.
The court heard he was already on County Court bail following a fatal incident on February 14, 2019, where he allegedly drove through a red light in Epping and hit a man, who later died from his injuries.
Tsigeletos allegedly didn’t have a driver’s licence and didn’t stop at the scene to help.
While awaiting trial for the 2019 incident, police allegedly saw Tsigeletos — who was still unlicensed — drive through a red light on Epping Rd about 12.11pm on April 24, 2020.
First Constable Samuel Barty told the court police were using a live tracker to find a car stolen from Flexicar on April 22, when they witnessed Tsigeletos drive the car through the red light.
Police then raided Tsigeletos’ Wollert home, where he lived with his mum and brother, about 12.23pm, with the tracker allegedly indicating the car there.
The court heard he came to the front door, before police searched the rest of the property to find any other alleged offenders and the car.
First Constable Barty said when police entered Tsigeletos’ bedroom they saw a 40cm long single-barrel shotgun in an open drawer.
They allegedly saw a small bag of cannabis when they opened a cupboard to check for further offenders.
The Hyundai was allegedly found in the garage along with a motorcycle which had been allegedly stolen from Brunswick earlier in April.
The court heard when Tsigeletos was then taken to Broadmeadows police station and searched he pulled an extendible baton from his buttocks area.
Under the conditions from the County Court, Tsigeletos is banned from driving a car or from using drugs.
Tsigeletos allegedly told police he had driven the car, and had got it from a friend an hour before he was arrested.
First Constable Barty said Tsigeletos clearly had not changed his behaviour, and had again put members of the public at risk of serious injury or death.
Tsigeletos’ lawyer Carly Lloyd said there were issues with the legality of the police search, and pointed out delays occurring in the police compiling the evidence for the case.
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She said Tsigeletos being in custody was stressful for his mum and brother and that he had full-time work to go to.
She proposed Tsigeletos be bailed to undertake drug treatment and screening with drug and alcohol counsellor Amanda Brown.
Ms Lloyd said he could have three outpatient appointments a week while he was waiting for a place in a residential treatment facility to become available in three to four months’ time.
Ms Brown gave evidence that Tsigeletos had issues with ice and marijuana, with the drugs helping to ease the pain of childhood trauma and the alleged incident in 2019.
Magistrate Stephen Ballek said while there were some triable aspects in the validity of the police search, the proposed rehabilitation plan did not make the risk of Tsigeletos being in the community acceptable.
He refused to bail Tsigeletos, who had already been in custody for 27 days.