Justin John Meale stands trial for the murder of Clinton Pollock

A jury has heard how a gun went off like a “firecracker”, leaving one man dead on Father’s Day and another standing trial for murder.

A group of men ran from a Queensland home after a man was allegedly shot over a disagreement about a failed drug deal, a jury has been told.

Clinton “Rocky” Pollock died from a fatal gunshot wound sustained outside his home in Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, on September 2, 2018.

Justin John Meale is facing a single charge of murder over the 35-year-old man’s death.

Mr Meale has pleaded not guilty to the charge and stands trial at Brisbane Supreme Court.

The jury heard from the senior Queensland Ambulance paramedic who attended the scene. Emergency services spent 20 minutes trying to resuscitate Mr Pollock after they found him unconscious upon arriving at the house.

“Despite our best attempts, he never regained consciousness; he never regained heartbeat after that time,” she said.

The court was told Mr Meale arrived at Mr Pollock’s house with three other men about 11.30pm on September 2, 2018.

He allegedly shot Mr Pollock in the chest while just metres away from him.

Crown prosecutor Danny Boyle told the jury that Mr Pollock had organised to get ice from Mr Meale in exchange for bullets.

The jury was told on Monday that when Mr Pollock did not receive the drug he texted Mr Meale “Where’s my f--king bullets?” and threatened to “spray” Mr Meale’s house with bullets.

Clinton Pollock died of a gunshot wound after he was allegedly murdered by Justin John Meale outside his sister’s Deception Bay home in 2018.

In another text he tells Meale he has 15 bullets and warns him not to “go mouthing off”.

The court was told Mr Meale arrived at Mr Pollock’s house carrying a sawn-off .22 rifle and the pair engaged in a yelling match.

Mr Meale’s former girlfriend, Tayla Mitchell, gave witness evidence to the jury on Tuesday she overheard her boyfriend “having an argument with someone by the name of Rocky” on the phone when she arrived at his home about 3pm on September 2.

“The other person (Mr Pollock) was threatening him and saying he was going to come to his house, and threatened his family,” Ms Mitchell said.

“He was upset.”

Ms Mitchell, who isn’t accused of any wrongdoing, said Mr Meale left his home a short time later with another friend in a car.

She told the jury she remembered seeing Mr Meale with a gun “a couple days before” and on the day of the shooting.

Tayla Mitchell told a jury she remembered seeing her former boyfriend Justin Meale with a gun on the day he allegedly murdered Clinton Pollock. Picture: NewsWire David Clark

Mr Meale’s friend, Christian Sands, who was one of the four men who arrived at the Deception Bay home, told the jury on Tuesday that he didn’t know Mr Meale had a gun but ran from the street after hearing a “bang”.

“There was a flash, bang, he started screaming and I ran,” Mr Sands said.

“I didn’t see the gun go off, but I saw the flash and I saw Justin with the gun after.

“When the flash and bang happened I started running. I didn’t see the actual shooting, I just seen the flash.”

He told the jury that he heard Mr Pollock yell moments before the shooting at Mr Meale “how dare you try to rip me off”.

“There was arguing and maybe yelling backwards and forwards,” Mr Sands said.

Christian Sands said he didn’t know Mr Meale had a gun. Picture: NewsWire David Clark

The jury was told Mr Pollock had been walking from his veranda towards Mr Meale, who stood outside the front gate with Mr Sands and the two other men when he reached into his jacket pocket.

“(Mr Pollock) went down the side of the house first, he then went (and) got his dog,” Mr Sands said.

“He was a bit fidgety … words were exchanged to get Justin inside. He said, ‘No, I’m not going inside because of your dog’.

“(Mr Pollock) was holding (the dog), then went on the veranda and he was fidgeting in his jumper and then bang and we ran.

“He reached into his pocket, and that’s when it all happened.”

Mr Pollock’s sister, Jody Pollock, also gave evidence on Tuesday that her brother had not owned or was carrying a gun the night he died.

Ms Pollock was standing metres away on the bottom step of her Deception Bay home when she saw her brother shot.

Jody Pollock saw her brother shot outside her home. Picture: NewsWire David Clark

Recalling the moment to the jury, Ms Pollock said she didn’t realise he’d been shot at first.

“It happened too quick, I thought it was a firecracker,” she said.

“I didn’t know it was a gunshot, I just saw this little flame and it glowed.”

Ms Pollock said her brother had taken a phone from her minutes before the shooting when he’d woken her up to tell her someone had parked outside the house and she wanted to call the police.

She said she didn’t know about any text messages or communication between her brother and Mr Meale prior to the night of the shooting.

“I wasn’t aware of these messages at the time; my brother wouldn’t let me know about that happening in my house while I’ve got children in the house,” Ms Pollock said.

When suggested by defence barrister Greg McGuire that Mr Pollock could have been reaching for a gun in his pocket, Ms Pollock became visibly upset.

“He had no gun on him,” she yelled in court.

“That’s the truth, there was no gun whatsoever.

“All he had on him was a phone. He had (that) on him because he took it from me.”

The trial continues before Justice Thomas Bradley.

Originally published as Justin John Meale stands trial for the murder of Clinton Pollock