Bellambi death: Paul Cairney charged with murdering ‘long-time friend’

A Bellambi man has been charged with the murder of a man he had “known for decades” with a court hearing the alleged stabbing came after a petty argument.

Paul Cairney was refused bail in Wollongong Local Court on Monday.

An Illawarra man is dead with his “long-time friend” charged with murder, with police alleging a physical altercation turned into a stabbing in Bellambi on Sunday evening.

Police arrested Paul John Cairney at an address less than a kilometre from the crime scene on Turner Esp, Bellambi, about three hours after the alleged murder of 52-year-old Justin Smith.

Cairney, 51, faced Wollongong Local Court via video link on Monday where he applied for bail, pleading to Magistrate Claire Girotto “he attacked me first, he attacked me first”.

The magistrate stated murder “was the most serious of charges”.

“It‘s not murder, it’s self defence,” Cairney interjected.

“It‘s a charge of murder,” Magistrate Girotto replied before denying him bail.

Police will allege the two men, in the presence of an unknown male, were arguing outside the home of Cairney‘s de facto partner at about 5.45pm on Sunday.

A crime scene was established on Turner Esp, Bellambi. Picture: Darren Malone

They will allege Cairney wanted Smith to remove his trailer from the property and find somewhere else to sleep with the argument escalating to a physical bust-up.

The unknown male fled the scene while a relative of Cairney‘s partner recorded footage from inside the address allegedly depicting him trying to strike Mr Smith with a baseball bat.

Investigators on the scene at Turner Esp, Bellambi, on Monday afternoon. Picture: Brendan Read

Turner Esp, Bellambi, was cordoned off until Monday afternoon. Picture: Brendan Read

It‘s alleged Cairney then used his white Great Wall ute to remove Mr Smith’s trailer and other property off the premises and onto the roadway.

However, another fight is alleged to have broken out between the pair.

Police will allege that Mr Smith, who they will claim was armed with a pole, was stabbed in the neck with an “oyster knife” Cairney had grabbed from a boat in the driveway.

Paul Cairney was taken to Wollongong Police Station.

Police will allege Mr Smith “bled profusely” before collapsing on the road.

Court documents state Cairney told his partner “He tried to stab me, I stabbed him” while she called triple-0 and he raced from the scene in his ute.

Police and paramedics arrived at the address at about 6.30 and despite initiating CPR, Mr Smith was declared dead shortly before 7.30pm.

Officers found Cairney at his nearby home on Tressider Pl, Bellambi, shortly after 10pm where they arrested him.

The matter will return to Wollongong Local Court in February, next year.