Court told man confessed to killing Gregory Armstrong

A man accused of the shooting murder of a Queensland man confessed to shooting him twice after being dared to pull the trigger, a court has heard.

A man accused of murdering Gregory Armstrong confessed to shooting him twice after being dared to pull the trigger, a court has heard.

Homicide detectives believe Tony Boyd Carmichael shot Mr Armstrong, 30, in the head over an alleged drug debt at the Jew Hole, a recreation area on Big Tuan Creek 40km south of Maryborough, on or about May 7, 1997.

Mr Carmichael is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court and has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Greg Armstrong’s body has never been found.

Witness Susan Messer took the stand on Monday morning telling the court that Mr Carmichael was a friend who she used to do amphetamines with.

Ms Messer said one night after Mr Armstrong went missing, Mr Carmichael had shown up at her doorstep “slightly on edge”.

She said something was “troubling him” and after they took drugs, he had confessed to the murder.

“He said that they were camping out at the Jew Hole … they took him out there because Greg owed money,” Ms Messer said.

“And Greg had said to him ‘go on then pull the trigger, pull the trigger, shoot me, go on then do it’.

“And he did it, twice.”

When Mr Boyd allegedly told her that the body and gun were still out there, she claimed she told him “well you better go deal with it”.

During cross-examination, barrister Damian Walsh questioned why she had never told police about Mr Boyd’s confession during previous statements.

Ms Messer said it was because she was never asked and explained that Mr Carmichael was a friend and she “felt like a dob”.

Mr Armstrong was last seen outside a Commonwealth Bank ATM in Adelaide Street, Maryborough, on the morning of May 7 and he was reported missing by his landlord days later.

His body has never been found despite multiple searches.

The judge-only trial continues before Justice Peter Applegarth.