Eden Waugh murder: Jason Pikula-Carroll sacks lawyers and will apply to change plea, ACT Supreme Court told

Jason Pikula-Carroll, who has pleaded guilty to the murder of Canberra artist Eden Waugh, has sacked his lawyers and now wants to plead not guilty.

Murdered Canberra artist Eden Waugh

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Jason Pikula-Carroll, who has pleaded guilty to the “cold-blooded” shooting murder of Canberra artist Eden Waugh, has dramatically sacked his legal team and will try to convince the Supreme Court to let him plead not guilty.

Pikula-Carroll fronted the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday for what was meant to be a hearing to determine what his precise role was in a home invasion leading up to Mr Waugh’s murder.

But in a stunning development, Pikula-Carroll’s barrister John Purnell SC told the court he and solicitor Peter Bevan had been sacked and that Pikula-Carroll wanted to apply to have his earlier guilty pleas vacated.

Jason Pikula-Carroll has pleaded guilty to the murder of Canberra artist Eden Waugh, but has sacked his legal team and will try to backflip on his guilty plea. Picture: Supplied/Twitter

Crown Prosecutor Anthony Williamson — who has previously described the murder of Mr Waugh as “cold blooded” — told the court on Thursday that Pikula-Carroll’s future legal team, if he has one, faced a difficult task to have the guilty pleas vacated.

Peter Forster-Jones was last year convicted and sentenced to more than 40 years jail for his role in Mr Waugh’s murder, and a string of other violent drug-related crimes.

Getaway driver Phouthakone Sikounnabouth is serving 12 years for his role in Mr Waugh’s murder.

Pikula-Carroll was allegedly with Forster-Jones when a shotgun was fired into the door of Mr Waugh’s home in Windeyer Crt, Watson, behind which the artist had barricaded himself.

Pikula-Carroll then allegedly joined Forster-Jones in stepping over Mr Waugh’s lifeless body and ransacking the house for cash and drugs.

Mr Waugh’s murder, Justice Michael Elkaim said last year, was “pervaded by the evil of drug use”.

Elaine and David Waugh, parents of murdered Canberra man Eden Waugh, speak last year after the jailing of Peter Forster-Jones for more than 40 years. Picture: Kate Christian

Justice John Burns on Thursday said Pikula-Carroll, having sacked his legal team, would have to represent himself at the hearing, which he had been set down for months, but later called the hearing off when Mr Purnell said Pikula-Carroll wanted to take the extraordinary step to try and have his guilty pleas vacated.

Should Pikula-Carroll succeed in his bid to have his guilty pleas vacated, it would pave the way for a marathon trial, likely at some point in late 2020 or early 2021.

Eden Waugh was shot dead with a 12 gauge, sawn-off shotgun in front of his girlfriend at his Watson apartment on November 3, 2016. He is pictured with parents Elaine and David Waugh.

Pikula-Carroll told the court he had recently been moved from his usual cell block at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and didn’t “feel confident” without a lawyer.

“I don’t have any of my stuff,” Pikula-Carroll said.

“I’m a bit of a mess at the moment.

“This morning I had a panic attack.”

In previous proceedings, Mr Waugh’s father, David Waugh said his son was “not without faults”.

“But he was such a caring, kind-hearted and talented young man. He did not deserve to die, especially in such a violent cold-hearted and cowardly manner.”