Gargasoulas faces trial over Bourke Street tragedy: LIVE

11:15am

Already wanted by police

On January 14, 2017, Mr Gargasoulas was arrested at his mothers' address after brandishing a knife.

He was already wanted by police over traffic offences, including an incident where he drove on the wrong side of the road.

On January 17, 2017, Mr Gargasoulas told an associate that if we was chased by police again he would attempt to strike someone in a bid to make his escape.

At 2.15am on January 20, Mr Gargasoulas and his brother, Angelo, got into an argument at their mother's apartment. Mr Gargasoulas followed Angelo into the street and attacked him with a large kitchen knife.

Ms Judd said Mr Gargasoulas told an associate that he believed he had killed his brother.

Mr Gargasoulas allegedly told another associate: "I'm going to do something drastic, take everyone out. Watch, you'll see me tonight on the news."

11:04am

'He used ice the day before'

Mr Gargasoulas lived in Coober Pedy until he was 16 years old. In late October 2016, he began using meth frequently.

"He used ice the day before the offences were committed. He was experiencing a drug induced psychosis at the time the offences were committed," Ms Judd said.

Ms Judd is providing the jury with a brief biography of each of the victims who died in Bourke Street.

10:52am

The court is shown CCTV footage

The jury will later be given iPads that will contain a list of the agreed facts of the case, photographs and maps. The jury will also see CCTV footage.

The court will now be shown some of that footage. Ms Judd said a number of victims and their family members had asked to leave the court because they do not wish to see the footage. Others have chosen to remain.

The footage opens with shots of a Holden Commodore being driven by Mr Gargasoulas through various streets of the inner city.

The footage now shows the car at the intersection at Flinders Street Station. You can see the vehicle doing burnouts and driving in circles.

Audio is being played. You can hear the screeching of tyres.

There are audible gasps in the court room as the car is shown striking pedestrians.

Ms Judd told the jury they will later be shown the footage in greater detail.

10:45am

An 'awful series of events'

Justice Weinberg has told the court room that Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd, QC, will begin the opening arguments.

She has now risen to address the jury, calling the Bourke Street incident an "awful series of events".

Ms Judd is describing how Mr Gargasoulas stabbed his brother in St Kilda, fled the scene and was pursued for hours by police. "He deliberately drove into pedestrians."

"In a period lasting only a minute, the accused left a trail of destruction. The fact that these things occurred is not issue."

She also said that the identity of Mr Gargasoulas is also not an issue

10:28am

The trial is about to begin

The public gallery is now full with the friends and family of victims. Mr Gargasoulas has been escorted into court, wearing a white collared shirt, shiny black track pants and white socks and sneakers.

10:21am

Gargasoulas pleads not guilty

Mr Gargasoulas was arraigned in the Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon.

10:21am

Justice Weinberg's instructions to the jury

After the jury was selected yesterday, Justice Weinberg spent some time instructing its members on the mechanics of how the case would proceed, what constitutes evidence, and cautioned them about obeying the court's rules (like not reading media coverage or discussing the case with friends or family).

Among the cautions, he addressed the fact that many jury members might need to walk past the scene of incident to get to court.

"It would be normal practice for me to instruct you that you should not visit the scene of the alleged offences," he said.

"Given the nature of this case, I will not direct you to stay away from Flinders Street or Swanston Street or William Street or Bourke Street. You probably cannot get here without going down one of those streets.

"If you need to pass along those streets, by all means do so, but not with a view to engaging in any form of enquiry of investigation, just for the purpose of going from point A to point B."

Justice Weinberg also flagged that CCTV would be a key part of the prosecution’s case and the major facts of the case were not in dispute.

"As you will see, I think, in the course of the evidence a lot of what occurred on that day was recorded on CCTV footage which you will be shown so there really won't be much dispute as to what actually took place on the day in question."

10:21am

The trial begins

On January 20, 2017, a car careened along Bourke Street, killing six people and injuring dozens more.

James Gargasoulas has been charged over the incident.

Today Mr Gargasoulas stands trial, charged with six counts of murder and 27 counts of reckless conduct endangering life. He has pleaded not guilty to all 33 charges.

We will bring you live coverage of the trial, as it unfolds in Court 3 of the Melbourne Supreme Court.

10:21am

'Drug-induced psychosis' not a defence

Justice Weinberg also addressed Mr Gargasoulas’ mental state, which was the subject of a previous hearing in the Supreme Court in October where he was found fit to stand trial by another jury

"It would have been apparent to anyone reading that material that although fit to stand trial, Mr Gargasoulas is currently not well and he has problems. Do not allow yourselves to be distracted by that. He is fit to stand trial, and that is all that need concern you regarding that matter."

He also offered advice about information the jury would hear in opening arguments today about Mr Gargasoulas' alleged use of the drug methylamphetamine (or "ice") and its role in giving Mr Gargasoulas "drug-induced psychosis" on the day of the Bourke Street incident.

I’ll quote Justice Weinberg’s words at length:

"That drug, as you will understand and will be told, can result in delusions and bizarre behaviour.

"You should know, and I will tell you in more detail ultimately, that delusions brought about by the use of drugs, self-induced drugs, such as ice, provide no defence to any criminal charge and do not affect criminal responsibility.

"So there is a difference between a psychosis, which is an extreme form of mental illness, and one that is drug-induced; in this case it's acknowledged and conceded that Mr Gargasoulas was in a state of drug-induced psychosis on the day in question.

"But, as I have told you, and you will understand that using ice and getting into a drug-induced psychosis is not a defence to or an answer to a charge of this kind."

10:21am

The judge, the jury, the prosecutors and defence counsel

A jury of 13 - seven women and six men - was empanelled on Wednesday afternoon to hear Mr Gargasoulas' case.

The trial is expected to last up to two weeks, involve 20 prosecution and defence witnesses and show extensive CCTV footage of the incident that has been compiled by Victoria Police homicide squad investigators.

In terms of the ground rules, we can only report information that is presented to the jury in open court.

Prosecuting the case against Mr Gargasoulas are Kerri Judd, QC, senior Crown prosecutor Ray Gibson and Georgina Coghlan. On the other side of the bar table are Dr Theo Alexander and Tass Antos, who are representing Mr Gargasoulas.