Former racing champion Jailed for Killing Sister’s Abusive Boyfriend
A former teenage speedway racing champion, Tyler King, has been jailed for killing his sister’s abusive boyfriend, Jesse Tattersall, after Tattersall boasted, “You should see what I do to her in the bedroom.”
Newcastle Supreme Court Justice Natalie Adams stated on Thursday that she could not definitively determine if King intended to kill Tattersall, sentencing him instead based on the intention to cause grievous bodily harm to prevent Tattersall from harming his sister again.
King, 27, of Budgewoi, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tattersall, 33, at Hamlyn Terrace on September 8, 2022. After stabbing Tattersall twice, King told his sister, “No one’s going to f***n’ hit you again, no one’s going to hurt you again” before delivering a third, fatal stab wound.
Justice Adams noted that King believed he was protecting his sister, Tenille, from a violent attack by Tattersall. “Tenille had told him she was scared of the deceased and asked him to come to the house to protect her,” Justice Adams said. The deceased had broken into her property through a security door and began violently assaulting her. She was defenseless against this attack.”
When King confronted Tattersall at around 8:10 PM as Tattersall was dragging Tenille through the living room, Tattersall initially responded with, “Sorry bro, sorry bro. I won’t hit her again.” He then slammed King’s head through a plasterboard wall and taunted him with, “You should see what I do to her in the bedroom.”
King, who was on bail for aggravated burglary, grabbed a knife from the kitchen during the ensuing fight and stabbed Tattersall three times while Tenille tried to intervene. Tattersall, who had earlier in the evening threatened to kill Tenille after an argument, stumbled out of the house, collapsed, and died outside a neighbor’s home.
Justice Adams acknowledged that Tattersall had intended to assault Tenille and that King acted out of fear and panic. “At the time of the assault by the deceased on Tenille, the deceased no doubt thought she was alone in her home and he could assault her freely,” she said. “There was no evidence, when he commenced his physical assault on her, he knew Mr. King was present.”
The judge also noted King’s background as a talented speedway racer from a loving family who left school at 15 to compete professionally in the United Kingdom. However, his career did not meet his expectations, and after returning to Australia, his life spiraled out of control due to drug addiction.