A Life of Promise and Tragedy
Victor Daicos was a man whose talent seemed to mirror that of his famous brother, Peter. Born on September 10, 1967, Victor showed promise as a young athlete, playing for the Collingwood Magpies’ Under-19s side in 1984. He made 13 appearances that season and kicked 11 goals, proving himself to be a skilled player.
Those who played against him during those early years often remarked that Victor was just as good as his older brother Peter – if not better. Peter Daicos had a legendary career with the Magpies, playing 250 games and earning the nickname “the Macedonian Marvel” due to his extraordinary goal-kicking ability from seemingly impossible angles. His legacy continues through his sons, Nick and Josh, who have become beloved figures among Collingwood fans.
The last time the family saw Victor was on Christmas Day 2021. It was a difficult time for them, as Nick later shared that they had lost their aunt to cancer on the same day. Victor’s life took a tragic turn when he died alone in a Melbourne Assessment Prison cell on January 2, 2022, during the height of the Covid pandemic.
At 54 years old, Victor was described in court as a talented AFL and cricket player in his youth. However, his life was marked by a long and troubled history with the law and heroin addiction. His death is currently under investigation by a coronial inquest taking place in Melbourne.
As the inquest opened, the court heard about Victor’s early encounters with the police. He became well-known to the justice system over the years, appearing before courts more than 30 times on approximately 170 charges between 1980 and the time of his death. His first jail sentence came in September 1994, four years after his brother secured his place as an all-time Collingwood legend with the Pies’ AFL premiership victory.
Victor’s most recent sentence before his fatal stint in prison was handed down on May 7, 2020. He was released at the end of June but was soon back in trouble. Just days after that painful Christmas in 2021, he was arrested again.
Police claimed they caught Victor in the act of committing a burglary. He was remanded in custody and placed in a mandatory Covid isolation quarantine unit at Melbourne Assessment Prison after appearing in court via video link. The court heard that Victor had complained of chest pain on the day of his arrest. An ambulance responded, but he remained in jail.
On January 2, the day of his death, Victor repeatedly raised alarms from his cell. He reported rectal bleeding and dizziness, saying his legs felt like they were going to give way. Later, he used the intercom to complain of “heavy, heavy bleeding just now when he went to the toilet.”
Agency nurse Alison Geraghty, the first tearful witness to be called in the inquest, had assessed Victor. She was granted an indemnity certificate by Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald on the grounds that her evidence might lead to her being liable to a civil penalty under Australian health practitioner regulations.
The court heard that Ms. Geraghty had no prior experience in correctional health and claimed she received little training upon starting her job at the jail. With no on-site doctors available, she was the last health professional to see Victor before he was found unresponsive.
Victor had been seen for chest pain in the afternoon. While attempts were made to contact doctors, he was found unresponsive during a head count at around 4:29 pm. Prison officers performed CPR before paramedics took over, but he was declared dead at 5:18 pm. A forensic pathologist later determined his cause of death as “upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, secondary to pyloric gastric ulcer.” Diluted blood had been observed in the toilet bowl in his cell.
The inquest heard that Victor had a known history of peptic ulcer disease and heroin use. Only Victor’s daughter Ebony was present in court for Monday’s hearing. The inquest continues.
