Angelo Gargasoulas, the 33-year-old brother of Bourke Street killer James Gargasoulas, is facing serious drug trafficking charges and may be granted bail to live with convicted sex offender John Buckley.
Gargasoulas appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, December 3, following his arrest after a police raid on his Carlton home on August 22. He is accused of disguising GHB in bottles labelled as aloe vera and distributing them across Melbourne via Uber.
The case came to light when co-accused Simon Simoudis told police that Gargasoulas had dropped off a box containing 1,4-butanediol at Simoudis’ address on July 10. During a raid, police seized drugs, including 21 bottles of GHB, and CCTV footage allegedly showed Gargasoulas delivering the box to the building shortly before the raid.
Six weeks later, Gargasoulas’ own home was raided, and police allegedly found 10 kilogramsg of 1,4-butanediol hidden in similar aloe vera bottles, along with fraudulent documents and a notebook.
At the bail hearing, Gargasoulas’ lawyer argued that the prosecution’s case was weak, citing the lack of DNA evidence linking him to the dropped package. Gargasoulas applied for bail to stay with a friend in Prahran who cares for Buckley, a former Geelong Grammar teacher and convicted pedophile.
Police opposed the bail, citing concerns about Gargasoulas living with a “registered sex offender” and the priority being given to Buckley’s care.
The court also heard that Gargasoulas had a history of involvement with the Court Integrated Services Program (CISP) and was on a community corrections order at the time of the alleged offences.
Magistrate Matthew Page adjourned the bail application, noting that the prosecution case was not weak and that Gargasoulas had a history of non-compliance with court orders. His bail hearing will continue on Wednesday, December 4.
Gargasoulas’ brother, James Gargasoulas, was responsible for the 2017 Bourke Street massacre, in which he killed six people in a horrific rampage.
Source: Herald Sun.