James Spyridon Vlassakis (born 24 December 1979) is an Australian serial killer

Serial killer

A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...

 currently serving four consecutive terms of life imprisonment

Life imprisonment

Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...

 with a non-parole period of 26 years for his role in the Snowtown murders

Snowtown murders

The Snowtown murders, also known as the Bodies in Barrels murders, were the murders of 11 people in South Australia, Australia between August 1992 and May 1999...

. Vlassakis confessed to four murders, including the murder of his stepbrother, David Johnson and half-brother Troy Youde as well as the murders of Gary O'Dwyer and Frederick Brooks.

Vlassakis met John Bunting

John Bunting (serial killer)

John Justin Bunting is an Australian serial killer from Brisbane, Queensland, currently serving eleven consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his role in the murder of 11 victims of the Snowtown murders....

 when aged fourteen and looked up to Bunting as a father figure

Father Figure

"Father Figure" is the U.S. number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records in 1988 as the third single from the album Faith.-History:...

. It was alleged Bunting groomed Vlassakis into committing serial murders.

Vlassakis was tried separately from the other accused and was the first to be sentenced for his role in the murders. He pleaded guilty to the four murders he was charged with.

Troy Youde

Troy Youde was the half-brother of Vlassakis. Vlassakis had earlier confided in Bunting that Youde had sexually abused him when he was aged thirteen. Bunting, Wagner, Vlassakis and Haydon hatched a plan to murder Youde and the group drove to Youde's house and dragged from his bed while sleeping. Youde was strangled by Wagner in his bathroom. Vlassakis admitted to being a witness to the murder.

David Johnson

Johnson was lured to the disused bank in Snowtown by his stepbrother, James Vlassakis. Vlassakis had earlier told Johnson about a computer in Snowtown and that he would like Johnson to take a look at it. Vlassakis drove Johnson to the bank vault in Snowtown, where he would become the final murder victim before the group was apprehended.

Suppression order

A suppression order was granted restricting any image from publication which could identify Vlassakis. The order was granted to provide protection to Vlassakis within the prison system as he had agreed to provide evidence against his co-accused at their upcoming trials.

The terms of the order were as follows:

Order suppressing publication of the image of Vlassakis in any form, including photographs, sketches and illustrations.

Further order suppressing publication of any description of Vlassakis, that is, of his appearance, which would have the capacity to lead to identification of him by a reader of the description.

The orders will remain in force until further order, but His Honour indicated that it his intention to review orders on the next appearance of Vlassakis in this court.

REASONS:

To prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice.

In July, 2004, publishers of Australian newspapers The Australian

The Australian

The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....

and Herald Sun

Herald Sun

The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...

were convicted on contempt of court

Contempt of court

Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...

charges for the publication of a photograph of Vlassakis on 11 July 2002.