Joshua Rozynski jailed for 24 years for murdering Daniel Eagle
A Corio dad who was at home playing PlayStation before taking part in a high-speed car chase and gun battle that ended in murder has learned his fate.
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A Corio dad who was at home playing PlayStation before taking part in a high-speed car chase and gun battle that ended in murder, has been jailed.
Joshua Rozynski, 29, was sentenced in the Supreme Court on Friday to 24 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 17 years, for the 2021 murder of Daniel Eagle.
The matter was due to go to trial in June, more than two years after the incident, before Rozynski entered a last minute plea.
Rozynski shot and killed Mr Eagle, 44, in the early hours of March 27, 2021 amid an escalating feud over a $1000 drug deal.
The court heard Rozynski got into a car and chased Eagle, who was in a Ford Territory with two others, around the streets of Corio.
Eagle’s car came to stop when he smashed into a postal van on the Princes Hwy about 6am.
Rozynski then got out of his vehicle, walked up to Eagle’s car, leaned into the vehicle and shot Eagle, who was in the passenger seat, in the back with a sawn-off shot gun.
After the shooting, Rozynski was captured on his own CCTV burning his clothes in his backyard fire pit and “re-enacting” the murder for an associate.
His stepfather was arrested when a car connected to the incident was found at his address, and on March 28 Rozynski and his half-brother surrendered themselves to police.
Rozynski told police he had been at home “playing PlayStation” when his brother called to say their stepfather’s house had been shot at.
He said they had chased Mr Eagle and his associates to “scare them” and when Mr Eagle’s car was hit the truck and “flipped around” he grabbed the shotgun “because it was there”.
Rozynski said he heard a bang approaching the car and said on shooting Mr Eagle: “I had to, I obviously had to” and “I shot the c--t”.
Victim impact statements from Mr Eagle’s partner, daughter and mother described the psychological and financial toll the killing had on them.
Mr Eagle’s partner said she lost her “best friend” and the “family’s rock”, and described being unable to imagine a “long and happy life” for herself after Rozynski had “stolen her future”.
His daughter said she had been left “feeling suicidal” by the death of her “superhero and protector” and had been unable to gain meaningful employment.
She described feeling “betrayed” as she felt Rozynski was a “close family friend”.
Mr Eagle’s mother said she would “never get over” the death of her only child.
In sentencing, Justice John Champion said Rozynski had had a “chaotic, unstable and abusive” upbringing.
Justice Champion said it was to Rozynski’s credit he had “pulled (himself) out of his disadvantaged circumstances” and be a stable and productive father with “little contact with criminal justice system”.
The prosecution characterised the crime as an “act of retribution” and argued Mr Eagle posed no threat.
Mr Champion said the public nature of the shooting was concerning, with “one or more of the cars mounting the footpath”.
“Members of the public are entitled to traverse the suburbs of Geelong without a shootout,” he said.
“(Rozynski’s conduct) was reckless, dangerous and entirely unacceptable.”
“It is fortunate that no other vehicles of the public were harmed”.
Mr Champion rejected the defence’s assertion that the shooting occurred “in the heat of the moment” and said Rozynski had made an “independent and deliberate” choice to get out of the car.
“You had multiple opportunities to pause, reflect on your actions and stop,” he told Rozynski.
“You were not deprived on the ability to exercise restraint.... you picked up the sawn-off (shot gun).”
“Your actions, made out of anger, or a desire for revenge, were unacceptable.”
The 992 days Rozynski has already served in custody will not form part of the sentence.
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Originally published as Joshua Rozynski jailed for 24 years for murdering Daniel Eagle
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