Crucial bail application errors before Dimitrious Gargasoulas’ Bourke St attack
Three tiny check marks could have played a role in freeing Bourke St killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas, days before the horrific attack — and the errors were made by the officer fighting to keep the man behind bars, an inquest has heard.
Law & Order
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Three errors have been found on a crucial document that was given to the bail justice who eventually released Dimitrious Gargasoulas, six days before he launched his Bourke St attack.
The remand bail application was filled out by Senior Constable Jake Semmel as he fought to keep Gargasoulas in custody on January 14, 2017.
He had checked three boxes “no” when they should have been checked “yes”. The incorrectly checked boxes related to whether Gargasoulas was an unacceptable risk of committing offences while on bail, being a danger to public safety and welfare and obstructing the course of justice.
— Scroll down to see the bail application form
Essentially, he was saying on the form he didn’t expect Gargasoulas to do those things.
What happened at the bail hearing is a source of conflict between police and the bail justice, who will give evidence to the inquest into the Bourke St deaths next week.
Sen-Constable Semmel today said the errors were an “oversight”.
Ian Hill, QC, representing the bail justice, suggested Mr Semmel hadn’t had much time to prepare the document. The officer disagreed.
“How did you come to make the mistakes on the very first page of this application if it wasn’t in fact hurried,” he asked.
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Sen-Constable Semmel said it wasn’t the first page he prepared and, despite the mistakes, he conveyed his opposition to bail and reasons for them orally to the bail justice.
Mr Hill put it to him the bail application was rushed and he hadn’t had the necessary training to be able to complete one.
Sen-Constable Semmel again disagreed.
Yesterday, he gave evidence the training police officers received at the academy about bail applications was “minimal” and he believed more was needed.
Most of the training was “on the job”, he said.