A man involved in a Ballarat North siege before Christmas has died in custody.
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The 44-year-old Ballarat man died at the Metropolitan Remand Centre last week – less than a month after his arrest.
A family member told The Courier the coroner had informed him the man had died of natural causes.
He was found dead in his cell on Friday.
The man had been held at the remand centre since the siege incident in Ballarat North on December 20.
He was due to face court this Thursday.
He was facing several charges including conduct endangering persons, making threats to kill and arson.
In that incident, he was involved in a 90-minute stand-off with police, with heavily armed officers travelling from Melbourne as negotiators tried to get him to exit a house.
After initially refusing to leave the house on the corner of Ligar and Walker streets, he eventually came out with his hands in the air and surrendered to police.
A spokesperson from Corrections Victoria confirmed to The Courier a 44-year-old man had died in custody, but would not comment any further.
“A 44-year-old prisoner was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Remand Centre on January 11,” Corrections Victoria told The Courier.
“As with all deaths in custody, the coroner will prepare a report and formally determine the cause of death.”