Krystel Paul killed by husband after trying to leave DV relationship
The Cairns woman tragically shot dead by her husband before he turned the gun on himself was planning on ending the relationship before she was gunned down in her family home.
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The Cairns woman tragically shot dead by her husband before he turned the gun on himself was planning on ending the relationship before she was gunned down in her family home.
Detectives are investigating the shooting deaths of Krystel and James Paul, both 41, who were found dead inside their Mount Sheridan home on Tuesday evening.
The pair were found with gunshot wounds in the bathroom and main room of the Verbena Dr home by police during a welfare check about 7pm.
In a heartbreaking twist the couple’s nine-year-old daughter had fled to the neighbour’s doorstep just moments before two gunshots were heard coming from the house.
It’s understood the woman had told people close to her she was planning on leaving her husband.
Police say there had been no official domestic violence reports made, and no mental health flags raised.
But it’s understood behind closed doors Ms Paul had been subjected to violence and abuse at the hands of her husband.
Ms Paul owned a bridal boutique in the Cairns CBD partly named after her husband.
Workers at nearby businesses reported seeing her with a man, who they believed to be her husband, in the days leading up to her death.
In one instance he kissed her goodbye, they said.
Owner of Stella Florist, Nat Beattie, was too upset to talk about the death of her business associate but employee Kane Maneylaws said Ms Paul was a quietly spoken and gentle person who would be greatly missed.
“It’s a very small community, and it’s sent a ripple right through the industry,” he said.
“You hear it on the news and a lot of us are pretty desensitised to it these days, but when it hits home personally it grounds you a bit more when you understand it’s really happening in our neighbourhood.”
Verbena Dr neighbours of the dead couple also had not witnessed or heard signs of violence in the two years they had lived at their recently-built Mount Sheridan property.
It’s claimed by high-profile anti domestic violence campaigner Sherele Moody that Ms Paul was in the process of splitting up with her husband immediately before the shooting.
“He shot her to death, this is why women don’t report, this is why women don’t leave,” she said.
According to Australian Femicide Watch, Ms Paul was the 31st woman to be killed in a domestic violence incident this year.
A police officer close to the investigation said the use of a firearm and sending the daughter away demonstrated a premeditated and clear intent to kill.
“It’s pretty clear, you want them dead, when you go to that extreme, survival chances are pretty limited,” he said.
“And there has to be brain processing to protect the children and send them outside to protect them from what is about to happen.”
Sources at a business close to Ms Paul said they had been approached by investigating officers about CCTV footage recorded in Village Lane leading up to the shooting.
HOW TO GET SUPPORT
Advice on how leaving a DV relationship can be found here
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, support and counselling is available from the following agencies:
1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811
DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636
13YARN: 13 92 76
More information is also available from the Queensland Government Domestic and Family Violence portal.
Originally published as Krystel Paul killed by husband after trying to leave DV relationship
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