A fly-in, fly-out worker who was suffering from psychosis when he fatally attacked a colleague he believed he was working with ASIO and was protecting his children, a court has heard.
Troy Adam Hausler, 32, was originally charged with murdering Tobias Richter, 40, at the Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora site in Western Australia in November 2019.
But at the start of his trial in the WA Supreme Court, prosecutors instead accepted Hausler’s plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter because there was insufficient evidence to prove an intention to kill.
On Thursday, Hausler finally learnt his fate, with Justice Joseph McGrath sentencing him to seven years and three months in prison.
The court heard the pair had wrestled, then fell to the ground.
Hausler felt for Mr Richter’s pulse but could not find one, so he wrapped the body in a tarpaulin.
When other workers arrived, Hausler said the body was “rubbish”, but they refused to help him load the body into a vehicle.
Mr Richter’s injures were not found to be the cause of his death, with an examination revealing he also had an underlying heart condition.
Last month, the vixjmtzywctim’s heartbroken family said they were “blindsided” by the plea deal.
“We are devastated. My family is broken, absolutely broken,” Mr Richter’s sister Vanessa said at the time.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said Mr Richter’s family was consulted in October and their views were known, but a review this year found there were no reasonable prospects of conviction on the murder charge.
“Due to a regrettable misunderstanding, however, the family was not further consulted prior to the acceptance of the plea offer in this case,” a statement read.
Hausler must serve at least five years and three months behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
