Vasilis Vergulis pleads not guilty to murder and attempted murder

A man who allegedly shot and killed his wife and tried to kill his daughter has pleaded not guilty to the heinous alleged violence that erupted on a quiet winter afternoon in suburban Adelaide last year, turning the street into chaos.

Police allege Vasilis Vergulis murdered his wife Aleksandra Vergulis with a Glock pistol outside his home in Adelaide’s Campbelltown in the afternoon of July 15 and then tried to kill his daughter, Daniela, leaving them both lying on the driveway with gunshot wounds.

Ms Vergulis died at the scene of the alleged shooting, while Daniela suffered serious but non- life-threatening wounds and survived.

The police took Mr Vergulis into custody after a four-hour siege at the property and he has remained on remand since.

Mr Vergulis, appearing via videolink at South Australian Supreme Court on Monday, sat with a shaved head and green prison jumper.

A Russian interpreter read out the charges for Mr Vergulis, stopping for the man to enter his pleas.

He pleaded “not guilty” in Russian to the murder, attempted murder and cause serious harm charges.

Mr Vergulis’ not guilty pleas means the case will now go to trial at the court.

His defence counsel asked for eight weeks to prepare for the first directions hearing and prosecutor Brigid Symes did not oppose the request.

Justice Christopher Bleby set the hearing for June 17 and remanded Mr Vergulis in custody until then.

Daniela is a law graduate from the University of South Australia.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she works as a legal secretary at the Crown Solicitor’s Office, which provides legal advice to the South Australian government.

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