A tragic incident unfolded when Ivona Jovanovic, 27, died from a gunshot wound at Gold Coast University Hospital on September 8, 2019. A coroner’s inquest has concluded that her ex-boyfriend, Christos Panagakos, inadvertently shot her, but his actions did not meet the threshold for criminal negligence that would warrant a manslaughter charge.
Coroner Donald MacKenzie stated that while Panagakos caused Jovanovic’s death, it was primarily an accident. He underscored that there wasn’t enough evidence to support a criminal prosecution against Panagakos, who had initially been charged with manslaughter. During the inquiry, the account provided by Panagakos’ mother, Michelle, was deemed “risible” and untruthful, as she attempted to shield her son. She claimed to have heard loud bangs and found Jovanovic at the top of the stairs, with a gun near her feet, but the timeline and circumstances of her account raised significant doubts.
Furthermore, both Panagakos and the gun were absent when officers arrived on the scene. It later emerged that Panagakos left the house fearing blame for the shooting. Another witness, Daine Walker, provided a conflicting statement, recalling that Panagakos had said during the incident, “I tripped” and “it just went off.” Walker’s testimony was compromised due to his drug use at the time, which he acknowledged could affect his reliability as a witness.
MacKenzie expressed scepticism regarding both Panagakos and his mother’s testimonies, indicating that they had provided inconsistent narratives surrounding the events of that day. He noted that Michelle Panagakos’s attempts to shift blame towards Jovanovic were particularly troubling.
The coroner highlighted the emotional toll on Jovanovic’s family due to the ambiguity surrounding her death. MacKenzie also mentioned that if any new evidence emerges, the inquest could be reopened for further investigation. Ultimately, the coroner’s findings painted a grim picture of a family tragedy intertwined with attempts at evasion of responsibility, as well as the devastating impact of the event on those left grieving.