A MAN who held his wife and another women captive during an armed siege in Snake Valley has been committed to stand trial in the County Court.Edward Smithman, 45, appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court earlier today, where his lawyer attempted to keep the case in the same court.But magistrate Peter Couzens said a combination of factors pushed the matter outside Magistrates Court jurisdiction.Crown prosecutor Raeleene Maxwell read out an agreed prosecution summary to the court, saying that police had attended Smithman and his wife Janelle Smithman’s Snake Valley home on the night of June 13 this year after an argument between the two broke out.When Ms Smithman later noticed a .22 bolt action rifle in a bag on their bed she grabbed it and tried to throw it out the window, but had the weapon wrestled off her. Ms Maxwell said that at one point Smithman became agitated and pointed the gun at his wife.Following police negotiations, the couple’s housemate, their two daughters and Smithman’s step-daughter left the house about 2am.Ms Smithman was only able to leave and run from the house when her husband fell asleep about 5.30am, Ms Maxwell said.Smithman finally surrendered to police in the early hours of June 15 — about 30 hours after the siege began.His lawyer, Selena McCrickard urged the court to keep the case within the Magistrates Court, saying that majority of siege situations involved physical harm to police or victims, but not this one. Mr Couzens did not agree. Smithman eventually pleaded guilty to one count of false imprisonment, and is yet to enter a plea regarding two counts of assault with a weapon.Smithman’s case is expected to be heard during the County Court sittings commencing on April 11 next year.Follow @ballaratcourier
Snake Valley siege: man committed to stand trial
