NSW Central West radio personality, Leo de Kroo, has acted as a mediator between police and a gunman during a siege, which ended with one man shot dead and two others wounded.

The announcer became involved after one of the alleged gunmen called him off air and informed him of the situation.

Police surrounded a property at Arthurville near Wellington and allowed de Kroo to act as a go between, finding out how many people were inside and the location of guns.

“I rang him and told him police were willing to meet him, and guaranteed his safety if he’d come out.”

Eventually, de Kroo helped convince those inside to give up. Two Arthurville men have since been charged with murdering 52 year old Michael George Pestano, of Pyrmont in Sydney. They have also been charged with shooting with intent to murder.

Two other men are still in hospital with gunshot wounds. One is critical, but stable with a neck wound. The other, wounded in the shoulder, is satisfactory.