Corio murder accused Joshua Rozynski fronts court over death of Geelong dad Daniel Eagle
The man charged with the alleged murder of Geelong dad Daniel Eagle has fronted court, as witness details emerged of how the highway shooting unfolded.
Geelong
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A witness has described to a Geelong court the moment he saw a gunman fire a sawn-off shotgun through the window of the car he was driving in a public execution-style shooting on the Princes Highway last year.
Joshua Rozynski, 26, appeared before Geelong Magistrate’s Court via video link on Wednesday charged with the murder of Corio father Daniel Eagle.
The victim, who was a convicted drug dealer, was shot after a gunman opened fire on a vehicle he was a passenger in on the Princes Highway at Corio shortly after 6am on March 27 last year.
The shooting occurred moments after the car he was a passenger in was involved in a collision with an Australia Post truck
The driver of the vehicle Eagle was in told the court three bullets hit his car as he drove to McDonald’s in Corio.
It is alleged the driver, Eagle and a third man had visited the home of Mr Rozynski’s brother Zac Perry earlier that day.
The driver, who allegedly gave three different statements to police, told the court there had been past issues between Eagle and Zac Perry
The driver told the court three bullets hit his car as he drove to McDonald’s in Corio on March 27.
The driver confirmed to the court that on the night of the alleged murder he, Eagle and another man had gone to buy drugs from Mr Rozynski’s dad, Scott Perry, who instead allegedly took them to the place Zac Perry was staying.
The court heard Mr Eagle tried to get the driver to entice Zac Perry outside, but was unsuccessful.
The driver told the court they returned to Eagle’s place, before choosing to confront Scott Perry for taking them to his son’s house. It’s alleged they yelled out for Scott Perry, and a rock was thrown through the window of his residence.
The driver told the court that upon leaving, Eagle instructed him to drive to a friend’s place where he left the car and returned with a bolt-action rifle.
The driver told the court they were then headed to McDonald’s as the night was “finished” when shots were allegedly fired through his back window.
He alleged Eagle fired one shot back at the other vehicle before they collided with the Australia Post truck on the Princes Freeway.
The alleged shooting and crash was witnessed by two men on their way to work.
A second witness had been a passenger in a truck on the way to work when he saw the incident unfold.
The court heard the second witness was about to get out of the truck to aid any passengers when the driver of the truck he was in began reversing.
“(The driver) told me someone had the gun, so I jumped back in the truck,” he said.
“I was halfway out to see if they were all right.”
When the second witness was back in the truck he told the court he saw a man approaching the crashed car, illuminated by the headlights of his truck.
He alleged he didn’t spot the gun until it had been fired through the front driver’s side window.
The court was told the shooter allegedly got back into a four-wheel-drive and drove away.
The witness, who then called triple-0 and got out of the car to help, said the driver of the vehicle and another passenger sitting in the back seat rushed to Eagle’s aid.
Court documents allege Eagle and Mr Rozynski were known to each other.
Mr Eagle’s death sparked an outpouring of grief, and a makeshift memorial was set-up at his Norlane home.
“You always had my back and I always had yours regardless of the situation,” one friend wrote on social media in the aftermath of the alleged incident.
“I’m going to miss you bro you were one of a kind.”
The hearing will continue on Thursday.
Originally published as Corio murder accused Joshua Rozynski fronts court over death of Geelong dad Daniel Eagle
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