In short:
Christopher Dillon Joannidis has pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving causing death over a crash in northern Victoria last year.
Joannidis was driving a Mercedes when it crashed into a ute, sending it into the path of a B-Double milk tanker at Strathmerton, killing five people.
What’s next?
The case is next due to appear in court in November.
A man who caused a horrific crash that claimed the lives of five people in northern Victoria has pleaded guilty in court.
Christopher Dillon Joannidis was behind the wheel of a Mercedes that crashed into a ute, sending it into the path of a B-Double milk tanker at Strathmerton last April.
Debbie Markey, 62, and overseas workers Pin-Yu Wang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Wai-Yan Lam and Zih-Yao Chen were killed in the smash.
Joannidis was set to face trial later this month in Shepparton after pleading not guilty to five counts of dangerous driving causing death.
However on Thursday morning he faced the County Court in Melbourne and changed his plea.
“Guilty,” Joannidis said, when asked his response to the charges.
Joannidis, who is out on bail, was supported by family members in court and will face a pre-sentence hearing on November 27.
His lawyer Paul Smallwood said a mental health report would be prepared for the hearing for the sentencing judge to consider.
“Mr Joannidis has some complex psychological and psychiatric matters,” Mr Smallwood said.
Joannidis, 30, made no comment as he left court.
Aftermath of crash was ‘horrific’
Police said Joannidis had been speeding and was issued an infringement notice minutes before the deadly smash on the Murray Valley Highway.
Joannidis also returned a positive test for cannabis, although a follow-up reading was negative.
Police described the aftermath of the crash as a “terribly confronting and tragic scene”, which required victim identification experts to determine how many people had been killed.
At the time, Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said it was Victoria’s deadliest road crash in more than a decade.
“I’ve seen the vision from the truck. It is horrific,” he said.
The intersection of the Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Road has a notorious track record for crashes.
Victoria’s Coroners Court is holding an inquest to determine what can be done to make the intersection safer.
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