Inside James Gargasoulas’ life in jail after Bourke St killing
He’s one of the “worst examples of mass murder” in our history. But these letters reveal how remorseless Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas is gorging himself on treats of Nutella and raspberry cordial and enjoying TV behind bars.
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Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas is loving life behind bars, watching TV, listening to music and gorging on treats at the canteen.
In handwritten letters, obtained by the Herald Sun, the remorseless murderer speaks candidly to family and friends about his time at Melbourne Assessment Prison.
One letter, from October, details how finding the new canteen list included Nutella and raspberry cordial had “made my day”.
In another he reveals: “So, the MAP has gotten a new antenna so we now have all the channels to watch which I’m happy about.”
“It’s 12am on Friday night,” he wrote in March last year. “F--- I hate jail, but I love it. lol. I’m listening to music.”
But it is not all rosy in prison greens, as he details how he also misses female company, his family and his children.
“I miss being with girls. I miss looking good. I miss my brother. I miss my kids,” he writes.
He then adds, “Ah well, shouldn’t of ran people over”, before drawing a sad face.
In February, Gargasoulas was sentenced to life in jail, with a non-parole period of 46 years, for what Supreme Court judge Mark Weinberg described as “one of the worst examples of mass murder in Australian history”.
He callously mowed down pedestrians in his car as they walked along Bourke St in Melbourne’s CBD during the busy Friday lunchtime rush on January 20, 2017
Six people, including a three-month-old baby and 10-year-old schoolgirl, were killed.
A further 27 city-goers were seriously injured.
Since his dramatic arrest, Gargasoulas has been in 23-hour lockdown with one-hour of yard time each day for his own protection.
His only interaction with other inmates is conversations under his cell door — or letters that are approved through the mailroom.
Most of the letters seen by the Herald Sun were to a transgender woman who was exposed to the serial killer when she claims she was wrongfully locked up beside him in solitary confinement for 56 days.
He befriended her, and when she was released, he repeatedly asked her to set up a Twitter account for him to “express my views on religion and government”.
But he gave strict instructions to not put his name on it until it “takes off and becomes popular”. She denied his requests.
He also asked her to print out and send him song lyrics so he can “sing out loud” in his cell.
Among the titles he requested were I would do anything for love by Meat Loaf, Me Against the Worl’ by American rapper Tupac Shakur and Little Cinderella by Lil' Romeo.
Gargasoulas also spoke of how there was a shift in public opinion towards him, and that he hoped to be released soon.
“I assure you that things will spice up for me throughout next year which will cause an uprising in popularity with the public which will permit a release in the near future say either the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020,” he wrote in July last year.
MORE: THE VICTIMS OF BOURKE ST
SURVIVORS RECALL HOW THEY ESCAPED TRAGEDY
THE BIZARRE RANTS OF JAMES GARGASOULAS
In a more recent letter he penned from his prison cell in April he spoke of how he would soon be allowed non-contact box visits.
He claimed prison bosses had also told him they will “find another prisoner who is doing a long time and open up the window in the yard” for him to befriend.