Craig Minogue - Second Murder Conviction

Second Murder Conviction

Minogue received a second murder conviction in 1988 for the murder of fellow prison inmate Alex Tsakmakis. This sentence is to run almost totally concurrent with the bombing sentence. Minogue will serve an additional three months for Tsakmakis's death. The sentencing judge, Justice George Hampel, stated at the time words to the effect that Tsakmakis's life was not worth any more than that. This murder occurred in the notorious H division of Pentridge, which later figured in Chopper Read's books and biographical film.

Tsakmakis had previously murdered a fellow prisoner by dousing him in an adhesive and then setting him on fire. He stood in the doorway of the room in which his victim, Barry Quinn, was on fire and refused to allow guards to enter. As they approached he threatened them with a guitar held in his hands, when they withdrew he began to play the guitar and sing "Come on baby light my fire" as Quinn burnt to death.

Tsakmakis was a prime suspect in the execution style murder of two men and a young woman during a jewellery store robbery in the Melbourne CBD. He was found beaten to death with gym weights that had been placed in a pillow case as an improvised weight training device by other prisoners. In an interview in 1991 with reporter Brett Quine of the Melbourne based tabloid newspaper the Herald Sun, Minogue stated it was simply a matter of self defence in that if he hadn't killed Tsakmakis then Tsakmakis would have killed him.