Police strategy to prevent Bourke Street rampage 'never had a chance of succeeding', coroner says

Coroner Jacqui Hawkins handed down the findings of her investigation into the deaths of six people, among them two children, in January 2017 when James Gargasoulas drove his car into Melbourne's popular Bourke Street Mall.

James Gargasoulas is serving a 46-year jail term for murdering six people and injuring 27 others. Source: AAP

The coroner said that the fear of being disciplined stopped some officers from acting decisively on the day and "paralysed them from taking action".

"This issue as hopefully in part been addressed with the implementation of the new hostile vehicle policy" she said.