Siege offender was suicidal, court told

Posted June 15, 2012 07:35:53

A man who fired several shots during a siege with police at Woodville Park in Adelaide was suicidal and never intended putting officers at risk, the District Court has heard.

Carmelo Falanga, 46, pleaded guilty to offences including creating the risk of serious harm and manufacturing methylamphetamines.

The court heard police attended his house last July and found he was making drugs.

His lawyer told the court Falanga had been a hard-working man but his life fell apart when he lost his money and got involved with the 'wrong crowd'.

It heard Falanga was pressured into illegal activity to pay off debt and became suicidal.

His lawyer said Falanga fired several shots into the air during the siege and one bullet fired from inside a shed hit a roller door, but Falanga had intend no harm the police.

He will be sentenced in August.

Topics: courts-and-trials, police-sieges, crime, law-crime-and-justice, sa, woodville-5011, adelaide-5000