Haralambos Tsigeletos admits to having gun
An unlicensed man who’s accused of fatally injuring a man when he ran a red light admits to having gun. And it’s not the only thing he has done while on bail.
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A man accused of fatally injuring a man when he ran a red light has admitted to possessing a gun.
Haralambos Tsigeletos, 24, also pleaded guilty to possessing a gun and cannabis, when he went before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, June 29.
The Wollert man had spent 67 days in jail since being arrested, with a Magistrate having refused to grant him bail, saying he was an unacceptable risk to the community.
The court heard police saw Tsigeletos on Epping Rd about 12.11pm on April 24, before they raided his home and found a shotgun in an open drawer in his bedroom, and a bag of cannabis.
A stolen motorcycle was also found in the garage.
When Tsigeletos was taken to Broadmeadows police station and searched he pulled an extendible baton from his buttocks area.
The crimes occurred while he was on County Court bail following a fatal incident on February 14, 2019, where Tsigeletos allegedly drove through a red light in Epping and hit a man, who later died from his injuries.
Tsigeletos allegedly didn’t have a driver’s licence and didn’t stop at the scene to help.
Conditions of his County Court bail ban him from driving or using drugs.
His lawyer, Carly Lloyd, said Tsigeletos has had a year “offence-free” after he was bailed from the County Court in March 2019 with the supervision of the Court Integrated Services Program, but had relapsed into methamphetamine use due to PTSD.
“This is a man who has experienced a rocky road,” she told the court.
“He understands he’s made a series of gross errors of judgment.”
“He is incredibly remorseful.”
Ms Lloyd pushed for Tsigeletos to be sentenced to the time served, saying he had a supportive mother and brother and the option of employment waiting for him.
She said Tsigeletos was at risk of losing his County Court bail, but was still able to live under its conditions in the community for now.
Magistrate Michael McNamara said he was “very concerned about offences on bail which include possession of a gun”.
Taking into account Tsigeletos’ early plea of guilty, he sentenced him to 90 days’ jail and fined him $100, saying if he hadn’t pleaded guilty it would have been a five-month sentence.
With credit being issued for days prisoners have to serve in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak Tsigeletos was expected to be released from jail immediately.
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