An Australian man who fatally shot his friend with a sawn-off shotgun as they posed for a photograph in a motel room has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

A group of friends were posing for photos with the loaded weapon at the Park Inn Motel in Melbourne’s north.

Albert Rapovski, 20, aimed the firearm at his friend Mahamd Hassan, who held up his phone to take a photo.

The trainee roof plumber was killed when Rapovski fired the 12-gauge shotgun into his face.

According to court documents, Rapovski cried “I shot, Mo, I shot Mo,” before fleeing the budget motel on March 5.

Earlier in the night, friends had encouraged him to unload the weapon as they knew he did not have a good understanding of how to operate the gun – which he wasn’t licensed to carry.

The motel owner discovered Hassan’s body alone in the room.

The following day, Rapovski was intercepted by customs officers at Melbourne Airport attempting to fly to Macedonia.

He had told a travel agent friend he needed to urgently visit his sick grandmother.

After originally being charged with murder, Rapovski pleaded guilty to the manslaughter in Melbourne Magistrates Court.

He has been remanded in custody to appear for a plea hearing at a later date.

Source: BBC