Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of stepson

A 66-year-old man pleaded guilty today to the manslaughter of his 33-year-stepson.

In the Supreme Court at Geraldton, Lance William Joinbee pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing Nigel Stuart Egan at Kelly’s Camp near Kalbarri on December 31, 2013.

He had previously been charged with murder, but the lesser charge of manslaughter was substituted after negotiations between defence and prosecution lawyers.

The court was told Joinbee had an altercation with the victim during which Mr Egan struck him in the eye and later over his back with a plastic chair.

Joinbee grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it towards Mr Egan to warn him off, but the altercation continued, eventually resulting in the victim being stabbed in the heart.

Justice Ralph Simmonds will sentence Joinbee in Geraldton on Monday.