Son of fugitive Rodney Clavell jailed

The "battle weary" son of fugitive Rodney Clavell, who shot himself during an Adelaide brothel siege, has been jailed after also turning to a life of crime.

Judge Michael Boylan jailed Richard James Clavell for seven years, seven months and six days, but noted the death had had a salutary effect on the son who was now highly motivated to rehabilitate himself.

The 29-year-old, who was on parole and on-the-run at the time, was found guilty in the SA District Court of drug trafficking and gun offences which occurred in Adelaide in September 2013.

A loaded rifle fell from under his armpit as he tried to flee police when they found drugs in a bum bag around his waist.

Capsicum spray was repeatedly used on him during the "terrifying" clash, the judge said.

Clavell's father, a 46-year-old former prison guard with a long criminal history, fatally shot himself after a 13-hour siege in an Adelaide brothel in June 2014.

Richard Clavell's lawyer had told the court that his father's death made his client realise the "stark reality" of what will happen to him if he continued living a criminal lifestyle.

The judge referred to the report of a psychologist who described Clavell as battle weary.

Clavell recognised he had wasted his life and no longer associated with "negative peers", and had the strong support of a new partner who was not involved in drugs or alcohol.

"You had a very dysfunctional upbringing, being the eldest of 10 children," the judge said.

"Your father was a fundamentalist Christian and a very authoritative man who was violent towards you and your mother.

"He led a law-abiding life until he and your mother separated when he turned to drugs and crime and eventually died in a confrontation with police."

When Clavell was 14, his mother asked him and four siblings to leave her house and the teenager then became responsible for them, the judge said.

He set a four year non-parole period for the sentence, which also included the unexpired parole of his previous term.

*Anyone seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78.