Latest news with #IvonaJovanovic
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
Gold Coast man accidentally killed ex-girlfriend, Coroner rules
A Gold Coast woman being fatally shot by a gun which was inside her former boyfriend's bag was 'essentially an accident', the Coroner has ruled. In a decision released this week, the Coroner finds Christos Panagakos could not be found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of his former partner Ivona Jovanovic. Ms Jovanovic died after being shot once in the chest at Panagakos' home in September 2019. Panagakos tripped going up the stairs, and the gun in his bag went off. Ms Jovanovic was standing at the top of the stairs. Witnesses gave conflicting and vague accounts to police, and prosecutors were forced to abandon a manslaughter charge against Panagakos. From there, Ms Jovanovic's death became the Coroner's to investigate. 'I have concluded that Mr Christos Panagakos caused the death of Ms Ivona Jovanovic,' Coroner Donald MacKenzie said in his decision, released on Thursday. 'However, on the evidence before me this was essentially an accident. 'In terms of the Criminal Code (Qld), his criminal negligence could not be established to warrant a prosecution for involuntary manslaughter. Clearly many of the witnesses at this inquest were not telling the truth or were obfuscating its discovery.' The grief felt by Ms Jovanovic's family had been amplified by the lack of clear answers, the Coroner said. 'It is evident from the statement read aloud at the inquest by Mr Vejiko Jovanovic, the deceased's father, that the deceased was a happy, kind and caring person. 'Her death has had a devastating and lasting impact on her family and those close to her. The lack of clarity about how she died can only have aggravated that grief.' The convoluted and arduous police investigation began on the night of September 8, 2019. Ms Jovanovic was shot about 8.20pm, and died a few hours later in hospital. However, no evidence ever came to light that Panagakos had any intention to kill Ms Jovanovic. The firearm involved has never been found and police never worked out who owned the gun. Panagakos and another man in the house blamed their use of methamphetamine for an inability to recall what happened. Witness Daine Walker told police he was outside when he heard 'a thud and then a bang like a gun going off'. 'Christos was standing at the top of the stairs, I remember him saying 'I tripped' and 'it just went off,' Walker said in a police statement. '(Panagakos said) 'What did I do? F**k I didn't mean it, I was coming up the stairs'. 'I said something like 'brother, relax just call the ambulance'.' At Panagakos' house that night, six friends were hanging out at various stages, 'having a gym session, taking illicit drugs' and they planned to go out for dinner. Panagakos and Ms Jovanovic had dated as teenagers, but were friends, and she came over during that night in September. Panagakos' mother was at the house, and four of the friends had left before the gun went off. Panagakos fled from the house after his mother called triple-0, but was arrested the next day and charged with manslaughter. Two of the friends declined to give the police a statement. Panagakos' mother gave multiple, varying accounts to the triple-0 call taker, police at the scene and to detectives, the Coroner said. 'One can understand her motive in trying to protect her son,' the Coroner said. 'However, her attempt initially to suggest that the deceased herself, brought the handgun in a handbag to 6A Renfrew Drive, Highland Park residence and her placing her son, Christos at the bottom of the staircase at the time of the firearm discharge, was in my view reprehensible. 'She was not a witness of credit.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Bombshell finding in case of bodybuilder accused of shooting dead his glamorous influencer ex-girlfriend
A Gold Coast bodybuilder accused of killing his ex-girlfriend accidentally caused her death when he tripped and a handgun in his bag went off, a coroner has found. Ivona Jovanovic, 27, was shot in the chest at the home of 30-year-old Christos Panagakos in Highland Park on September 8, 2019. A 9mm bullet burst through Ms Jovanovic's chest and caused blood to flood into her thoracic cavity, affecting her heart and lungs and she succumbed to her injuries at Gold Coast University Hospital several hours later. Coroner Donald MacKenzie has presided over the inquest into her death. An inquest in which, he said, many witnesses were 'not telling the truth'. On Thursday, he found Panagakos' actions leading up to the event were most credibly recounted by friend Daine Walker who was at the home at the time. Walker, Panagakos, Ms Jovanovic and another friend were due to leave for a dinner together and had been preparing at the home before the tragedy, according to Coroner's Court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia. Walker - who met Panagakos through mutual friends in his teens - told police he and his friend were outside smoking a cigarette when they heard noises from inside the house. Walker told officers who detained and interviewed him that he had heard a 'thud' followed closely by a 'bang'. He and his friend then went inside the house. He said in his police statement that Christos was 'standing at the top of the stairs' and that he remembered him saying that he 'tripped' and 'it just went off'. 'I saw a gun on the floor at the top of the stairs. I would describe it as looking like a cowboy gun with a wooden handle. I don't know much about guns so can't really describe it more than that. 'I remember Christos said something like 'What'd I do? Fuck, I didn't mean it, I was corning up the stairs'. I said something like 'Brother, relax just call the ambulance'.' Walker described seeing Ms Jovanovic lying on the floor gasping for air while blood pooled on her lower back. She had been planning to go out to dinner with Panagakos and his friends that night. '(Panagakos' mother) Michelle had a phone in her hand and was going to call the ambulance. I remember Christos said something like 'No, don't call yet, wait',' Walker told police. Panagakos was previously charged with manslaughter, however, those charges were later discontinued. At Panagakos' earlier committal hearing, Walker said he could not accurately recall the event, nor his witness statement because he was, at that time, an illicit drug user. The court heard the bullet caused internal bleeding that left Ms Jovanovic (above) gasping on the floor while her thoracic cavity filled with blood The coroner said in their findings that 'clearly' Walker had been given 'sound legal advice' on how to avoid his earlier witness statement 'being admissible against Mr Panagakos in a criminal trial'. But the coroner also noted 'the statement does not establish criminal negligence' by Panagakos. 'There is no direct evidence that Mr Panagakos knew that the firearm was loaded or indeed in the bag and a number of individuals with serious criminal antecedents were in a position to have placed the firearm in the bag without Mr Panagakos' knowledge.' The coroner also said Panagakos' own recount could be 'easily' rejected, after the bodybuilder initially said the handgun fired while he was putting on a jumper. The coroner found that Panagakos had caused Ms Jovanovic's early death. 'On the evidence before me this was essentially an accident,' he said. 'In terms of the Criminal Code his criminal negligence could not be established to warrant a prosecution for involuntary manslaughter. 'Clearly many of the witnesses at this inquest were not telling the truth ... should further relevant information become available there will always be an opportunity to re-open this inquest.' Panagakos maintained at the inquest he was not in charge of the handgun that fired to kill the influencer. The court was previously told a bag had also reportedly been 'dropped' at the home. Other witnesses gave conflicting accounts of the firearm. The coroner was particularly critical of Michelle Panagakos' evidence. 'One can understand her motive in trying to protect her son. However her attempt initially to suggest that the deceased herself brought the handgun in a handbag … and her placing her son Christos at the bottom of the staircase at the time of the firearm discharge was, in my view, reprehensible,' he said. 'She was not a witness of credit.' The coroner said the tragic incident had killed a 'happy, kind and caring person'. 'Her death has had a devastating and lasting impact on her family and those close to her. 'The lack of clarity about how she died since can only have aggravated that grief.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Coronial inquest finds former partner responsible for 2019 shooting death of Ivona Jovanovic on Gold Coast
A coroner has determined a Gold Coast woman's former partner was responsible for her death, after he accidentally shot her at his home six years ago. Ivona Jovanovic was wounded in the chest at the Highland Park home of Christos Panagakos in September 2019 and later died from her injuries in hospital. The 27-year-old's death was the subject of a coronial inquest held last year which probed the circumstances of the evening in question. In November, the Coroners Court heard Ms Jovanovic was about to head out for dinner with Mr Panagakos, who she had previously dated, and some of his friends. Shortly after she was shot, the court heard all of the men left the home and the weapon was also removed. It has never been discovered. In 2021, Mr Panagakos was charged with manslaughter. However, several months after being committed to stand trial, the case against him was dropped. Mr Panagakos has always maintained his innocence. During the hearing, Mr Panagakos told the court he did not remember much because he was drug-affected on the night of Ms Jovanovic's death. He was, however, adamant he did not have a gun in his possession. Delivering his findings on Thursday, Coroner Donald MacKenzie said Mr Panagakos's version of events could "easily be rejected" and ruled he had caused her death. Coroner MacKenzie said the "most credible account" of the evening came from a signed police statement made by a friend who was there on the night. "This is [the] most cogent and reliable body of evidence heard in the inquest," he said. Several people gave evidence during the inquest who Coroner MacKenzie said were "not telling the truth or were obfuscating its discovery". This included Mr Panagakos's mother, who he labelled as "not a witness of credit". "One can understand her motive in trying to protect her son," he said. "However, her attempt initially to suggest that [Ms Jovanovic] herself, brought the handgun … and her placing her son, Christos at the bottom of the staircase at the time of the firearm discharge, was, in my view, reprehensible." Despite finding Mr Panagakos was responsible for causing Ms Jovanovic's death, Coroner MacKenzie determined it was "essentially an accident". "In terms of the Criminal Code, his criminal negligence could not be established to warrant a prosecution for involuntary manslaughter," he said. In closing the inquest, Coroner MacKenzie said it was evident Ms Jovanovic was "a happy, kind and caring person". "Her death has had a devastating and lasting impact on her family and those close to her," he said.
