Police allegedly had at least three chances to ram alleged Bourke St killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas

POLICE allegedly had at least three chances to ram alleged Bourke St killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas before his deadly rampage but were held back by senior officers.

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POLICE allegedly had at least three chances to ram alleged Bourke St killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas before his deadly rampage but were hamstrung by senior officers.

Gargasoulas was in constant phone contact with police in the hours before he allegedly left six people dead, ranting about comets and being spied on from the sky.

Dimitrious Gargasoulas.

The calls were made by police in an attempt to end the January 20 police chase peacefully, but Gargasoulas kept asking for more time.

Victoria Police’s pursuit policy will be scrutinised at a coronial inquest.

A Sunday Herald Sun special report six months after the tragedy has revealed:

GARGASOULAS was shot twice when a police officer fired at him in Bourke St, hitting him in the shoulder and leg.

THE bail justice who freed Gargasoulas six days before the Bourke St carnage has been identified as Christos Pantelios.

SOURCES say Mr Pantelios and police are at odds over what occurred at the bail hearing, which was not recorded, and how strenuously — or not — bail was opposed.

GARGASOULAS is believed to have been claiming he was co-operating with police and had an official “police status”.

POLICE discussed filing a complaint with the Department of Justice but the letter was never sent.

A well-placed source told the Sunday Herald Sun many officers involved in the pursuit of Gargasoulas on the day remain troubled by the course of events that led to the deadly drive down Bourke St.

The bail justice who freed Gargasoulas and police are at odds over what occurred at his bail hearing in the days before the rampage. Picture: David Caird

Gargasoulas was stopped when police fired shots at him, hitting him in the shoulder and the leg. Picture: David Caird

“Five years ago, not even that, we would have rammed him,” the source said.

“But if we had done that and he just smashed into cars or injured a pedestrian because of us we would have been in trouble.”

Gargasoulas, 26, had left Victoria for the SA outback town of Coober Pedy in early 2016 before returning to Melbourne in October.

It is alleged he sped down the wrong side of St Kilda Rd on November 19 during a police pursuit and was charged with five further offences.

It is not known whether police came into contact with Gargasoulas before the January 14 bail hearing.

Mr Pantelios, a schoolteacher, is being represented by Royce Communications, a public relations firm.

When asked about the reasons he granted Gargasoulas bail, a representative said the client was “not in a position to confirm that or deny” any issues until court hearings.

Victoria Police declined to comment on the case.

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