Tristan Shea Eagles: Man who fatally attacked uncle in Gelorup shed during drunken celebration learns fate

A South West man who fatally bashed his uncle as they celebrated a big international contract win — stomping on his head after inducing a heart attack — could soon be back in the community. Tristan Shea Eagles was aged 28 when he and Stephen Bissaker, 59, came to blows after a heavy drinking session on August 31, 2023. The pair were close, had worked together on drill rigs north of Geraldton and were excited about a large contract they had landed in Brazil, defence counsel Simon Freitag told the WA Supreme Court on Thursday. An argument erupted as they drank in a shed some distance away from the Gelorup house where Mr Bissaker lived with his mother. While Eagles cannot remember that night, he woke his horrified grandmother and told her his uncle had initiated the violence. “I’m sorry, nanna, but that dog started it,” Eagles said to her as her son lay on unconscious on the ground, his face bloodied. “He’s been leaching off you for years.” Gasps came from the public gallery when the court was told Eagles stomped on Mr Bissaker’s head and attempted to kick his prone body. “He’s an old dog, I’m a new dog.” The victim fell backwards after being struck, hitting his head on a boat propeller, and he also suffered face, neck, chest and spine injuries from the attack. But it was a heart attack that ultimately killed him, leaving him without a pulse for about 40 minutes while desperate resuscitation efforts were underway. “It may well be that the stress of the fight caused the cardiac arrest,” prosecutor Robert Owen said. Mr Bissaker had another heart attack in hospital while Eagles fled in a car, crashed and was found bloodied, then arrested. He only had an abrasion to the side of his neck and cut to his forehead, which he told a nurse was caused by him headbutting the victim. Now 31, Eagles was initially fighting a murder charge but pleaded guilty to assaulting someone who died as a direct or indirect result of the assault. Eagles told police his uncle had begun the violence, which the State accepted, labelling one or more of the blows he struck as “excessive self defence”. Eagles told the officers: “He tried to f... around with his nephew ... I’m just not going to take f...ing sh...” “It’s not a good situation - I doubt he’ll press charges.” Mr Freitag said the remarks his client made, when he was full of bravado and probably adrenaline, did him no credit. But he had undergone therapy during his time in custody and addressed substance abuse issues, the lawyer said. “He has done some work on himself and that work is useful.” Justice Joseph McGrath said the crime was serious, describing Eagles’ ongoing attack as his uncle lay unconscious as “reprehensible”. “You and the deceased had a genuinely positive family relationship,” the judge said. “The response was excessive and violent.” He sentenced Eagles to four years and three months behind bars, with parole eligibility after two years and three months. With time already served, he is now ready to be considered by the Prisoner’s Review Board of WA.