Man charged after death at Big 4 Port Willunga caravan park in Adelaide's south
Gary Hallam, 72, was found dead inside a cabin at the Big 4 Port Willunga Tourist Park on Monday afternoon. (Supplied: SA Police)
In short:
A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 72-year-old Gary Hallam at the Big 4 Port Willunga Tourist Park at Aldinga.
Paul Coles, 49, allegedly presented himself to police and has been remanded in a mental health facility.
What's next?
The matter will return to court in August.
A 49-year-old man has appeared in court after allegedly confessing to the murder of another man who was found dead inside a cabin at a caravan park south of Adelaide on Monday.
Emergency services were called to the Big 4 Port Willunga Tourist Park on Tuit Road at Aldinga about 2:15pm on Monday after 72-year-old Gary Hallam was found dead inside a cabin.
Police said that at the same time another man, 49-year-old Paul Coles, allegedly "presented himself at a police station" where he was subsequently arrested.
During a ten minute court hearing in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon, a lawyer for Mr Coles asked for her client to be detained in a mental health facility, rather than in prison.
Auxiliary Magistrate Teresa Anderson made that order and said the man's mental competence would need to be determined in a higher court at a later date.
Emergency services were called to the caravan park where the body of a man was found inside a cabin. (ABC News: Jackson Stephens)
A police prosecutor asked for a 12-month adjournment as they await further forensic material, but Magistrate Anderson said she was "reluctant" to do so.
"I understand that the police are obviously looking at whether or not there's independent evidence to support his confession," Magistrate Anderson said.
She instead adjourned the matter for seven months, until early August 2026.
On Monday night, police released a statement that said the incident was not random and that "both men were known to each other".
"No-one else is being sought in relation to the death and investigations are continuing," the statement said.
Police said members of the Southern District CIB were on scene assisted by forensics and crime scene investigators.