A fugitive who held police at bay for 43 hours felt cornered by media reports before he took his own life, the Coroners Court has heard.
Convicted rapist Antonio Loguancio, 40, shot himself dead as police fired tear gas into a Glenroy bungalow to end the March 2013 siege.
Loguancio had told police he was upset by media reports about his arrest warrant and previous convictions for rape, a Coroners Court inquest was told on Tuesday.
"Loguancio told another officer that he was angry and that media reports had pushed him into a corner," Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Goddard said.
The fugitive had also told friends and the woman he assaulted that he did not want to go back to jail.
Police had been aware that Loguancio had had at least one gun in his possession.
Inspector Tony Glenane said police had decided to release details about the man-hunt to the media because Loguancio had been considered dangerous.
The inquest continues on Wednesday.
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