Violent man killed Voula Delios after release from prison with ‘no support’

A coroner has supported sweeping changes at Risdon Prison after the stabbing death of beloved North Hobart shopkeeper Voula Delios at the hands of a violent and erratic man.

Retail Portrait Michael Delios with his mother Voula Delios in the A and B foodstore in North Hobart First published 19th April 2003

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A DISTURBING paper trail has revealed the violent, erratic and disturbing history of a Risdon Prison inmate who stabbed a beloved grandmother to death the day after he was allowed to walk free.

On July 23, 2016, Greek “yiayia” and North Hobart shopkeeper Voula Delios was killed in a frenzied, seemingly random attack by Daryl Royston Wayne Cook - who was released from jail only a day prior.

In 2018, a jury found Cook not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

TIMELINE OF COOK’S OFFENDING:

• Circa 1980: Born into a “large and dysfunctional family” in Tasmania. His childhood is marked by abuse.
• 1993: Sister is murdered in Victoria, and his brother later dies by suicide. Cook goes on to amass a “significant number of convictions” across South Australia and Victoria for violent crimes and making a threat to kill.
• 2000: Jailed twice including for an assault and a wounding.
• 2002: Admitted into an adult psychiatric unit in South Australia after a suicide attempt.
• 2003: Jailed in South Australia for armed robbery.
• 2007: Jailed in Victoria for six years, with a non-parole period of three years, for intentionally causing serious injury.
• 2011: Again jailed in Victoria, this time for six months after making a threat to kill and threatening to cause serious injury.
• 2015: May 20: Back in Tasmania, Cook is taken into custody at Risdon Prison after committing burglary and common assault. An assessment is conducted by correctional staff and the prison health service. During this assessment, Cook is assessed as having “no history of institutional violence”, “a moderate record of prior convictions”, “no prior major offence convictions” and “no history of instability”.
• May 24: A second assessment is conducted, with one staff member noting Cook “appears not to be of sound mind”.
• May 28: A prison psychiatrist reviews Cook but finds “no evidence of mental illness”.
• June: His mental health fluctuates severely while in prison, urgently asking for medication on June 15 but denying two days later that he has anything wrong with him. In the same conversation, he says he will harm anyone he believes to be gay. Cook also expresses suicidal ideation while incarcerated. He receives no mental health treatment during this time.
• July 1: Granted bail.
• July 15: Back at Risdon following fresh offending. Staff members note he was previously violent towards employees and another prisoner and had threatened to harm gay and Islamic people.
• October: While already locked up at Risdon, he’s given an extra year behind bars for committing grievous bodily harm 10 years prior by stabbing his victim four times.
• July 16, 2015 – July 13, 2016: Cook’s “erratic, threatening and deeply problematic” behaviour at Risdon includes aggression, threats to staff, destroying his mattress, throwing urine under the door, fashioning handmade “shivs”, threatening to destroy the camera and television in his cell and start a fire, and is recorded talking of cutting and stabbing people’s throats. He also defecates on the floor and lies in his own excrement, makes sexual comments to female staff, refuses antipsychotic medication, argues with himself in a mirror, spits and screams, claims he is a “Jedi”, and rants and screams abuse for hours at a time.
• 2016: July 22: Released from Risdon Prison after he is granted a remission of 10 weeks. He is told to attend a Community Corrections meeting at midday, but he doesn’t show up.
• July 23: Cook stabs Voula Delios to death at her Elizabeth Street, North Hobart grocery store. That night, police arrest Cook – who still has the knife in his possession – at Claremont and he makes full admissions. He is charged with murder.
• 2018: September: Cook is found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

Source: CORONER SIMON COOPER

But on Friday, a coroner revealed the concerning list of system failures - and the shocking catalogue of Cook’s “erratic, threatening and deeply problematic” behaviours - that preceded Mrs Delios’ death.

Cook already had a lengthy violent criminal history before he was incarcerated at Risdon Prison - and a background of severe mental illness.

According to records, while he was incarcerated at Risdon Prison during 2015 and 2016, Cook threatened and assaulted staff and other prisoners, fashioned handmade “shivs”, talked of cutting and stabbing people’s throats, defecated on the floor and lay in his own excrement - and refused antipsychotic medication.

Yet these factors were seemingly overlooked, and he was released back into Hobart society - with 10 weeks of his sentence shortened for “good” behaviour - despite his repeated violent and concerning actions behind bars.

Daughter, Maria, left, and sister, Rosa Warner, of North Hobart shopkeeper Voula Delios leave the Supreme Court in Hobart. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE.

“Once again the gross inadequacy of Tasmania’s prison system has been revealed,” Greg Barns SC, the Prisoners Legal Service chair, said.

“Many prisoners suffer from mental illness, including acute mental illness. The current system simply warehouses them with no support or aftercare when they leave prison.

“Those with chronic physical and mental health problems are sent into a prison system which is grossly under-resourced to deal with health.”

In his findings released Friday, Coroner Simon Cooper said Cook was released early with “no support at all” and no legal requirement to take his antipsychotic medication.

He said on the day of his releases, Cook was directed to attend a meeting with Community Corrections - the body responsible for people on probation, but never showed up.

Mr Cooper said Community Corrections failed to notify police about what had transpired.

Tributes lay near where Voula Delios was killed. Picture: KIM EISZELE

“I consider that Mr Cook was released into the community suffering from a serious, but untreated mental illness, and while suffering from that illness killed Mrs Delios,” he said.

“He was released early, having been granted a remission for good behaviour, when his behaviour had been the antithesis of ‘good’. He was released with, in effect, no support at all.”

Mr Cooper stopped short of blaming correctional services or system failures for Mrs Delios’ death, however he supported suggestions from lawyer Jane Ansell about improvements in the prison system to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Outside court on Friday, Mrs Delios’ daughter Maria Hall declined to comment, saying she needed time to peruse the findings.

“It doesn’t bring her back,” she said.

LOOKING FORWARD:

CORONER Simon Cooper has stopped short of blaming the violent death of shopkeeper Voula Delios on prison and correctional system failures – or making any recommendations on how to prevent similar horrors from occurring in the future.

However, he was supportive of lawyer Jane Ansell’s sweeping list of recommended system changes, suggesting authorities give them “careful consideration”.

Lawyer Jane Ansell’s recommendations included:

■ Additional facilities and accommodation for Risdon prisoners with mental health needs

■ Mental health plans for inmates with mental illness upon their release from jail

■ Increased numbers of trained psychiatrists and mental health nurses in the prison system

■ Mental health training for all Risdon Prison staff

■ Information-sharing systems between the states of Tasmania regarding criminal and health records for detainees

■ A review of Risdon’s remission – sentence-reduction – procedures

■ A review of Community Corrections and extra infrastructure to ensure prisoners comply with reporting obligations

■ The establishment of special accommodation for certain prisoners upon their release

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