Christos Panagakos, as soon as accused of taking pictures ex-girlfriend, sentenced over unrelated assault

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A person who was beforehand accused of the deadly taking pictures of his ex-girlfriend has been sentenced for an unrelated assault of one other girl.

Christos Panagakos, 31, pleaded responsible within the Southport District Court docket to 2 counts of assault occasioning bodily hurt, one depend of widespread assault and one depend of wilful harm that associated to destroying a cell phone.


The offences occurred two years in the past.

Panagakos was beforehand charged over the manslaughter of his ex-girlfriend Ivona Jovanovic, 27, at Highland Park on the Gold Coast throughout 2019.


In August 2022, Mr Panagakos was dedicated to face trial over Ms Jovanovic’s taking pictures demise however at all times maintained his innocence.

The Workplace of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in March this yr confirmed they might not current an indictment within the Queensland Supreme Court docket for manslaughter in opposition to Mr Panagakos.

A spokesperson mentioned on the time the choice was made as a result of the Crown “didn’t have an affordable prospect of acquiring a conviction”.

Chistos Panagakos walks from courtroom together with his lawyer Michael Gateby.(ABC Information: Alexandria Utting)

The contemporary costs in opposition to Panagakos associated to offending that occurred in August 2021.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Man informed the courtroom he pushed the girl right into a bedside desk and grabbed her by the neck and “squeezed with power”, inflicting purple marks.

The courtroom heard he informed her through the assault, “In case you have been a man, I would slit your throat from one aspect to the opposite”.

He additionally brought about bruising to her arm, Ms Man mentioned.

The courtroom heard Panagakos snapped the girl’s telephone in half after seeing messages between her and a male good friend.

An ‘apparent’ drug downside

Defence Barrister Tony Kimmins informed the courtroom his shopper’s 11-page felony historical past indicated his shopper had an “apparent downside with medicine”.

He mentioned Panagakos’ earlier violent offending was dated and included an incident in 2010, which District Court docket Decide Deborah Holliday described as “assaulting a stranger at schoolies with a good friend”.

“There’s nothing involving a feminine,” Mr Kimmins mentioned.

Mr Kimmins informed the courtroom Panagakos’ offending in opposition to the girl was remoted to 1 incident, and a cost of strangulation regarding the identical date was dropped by the crown prosecutor this morning.

Panagakos supplied to pay the sufferer $4,000 in compensation for her accidents and the harm to her telephone.

In an affidavit to the courtroom, the defendant mentioned he had labored as a private coach till being charged with manslaughter.

Panagakos mentioned within the courtroom doc he was hooked on methamphetamines.

For the primary depend of assault occasioning bodily hurt, Decide Holliday sentenced Panagakos to 6 months’ jail however he was launched on parole instantly.

She sentenced him to a interval of two years’ probation for the opposite costs.

Panagakos was ordered to pay the $4,000 compensation to the sufferer by 4pm Tuesday.

He should serve three months’ jail if he defaults on the compensation order.

“That is severe offending … you will have a felony historical past together with offences of violence,” Decide Holliday mentioned.

“The offence has impacted the complainant emotionally and financially.”

The very fact Panagakos had served 118 days in custody for the manslaughter cost that was later dropped was taken into consideration throughout sentencing.

Panagakos can also be serving a nine-month probation sentence for separate drug offences, which was handed down final week.


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