Ex-girlfriend testifies Kyam Broadby was ‘living in a nightmare’ after Nathaniel Wailu died following beating

An ex-girlfriend of a man standing trial for the murder of show worker Nathaniel Wailu says he told her about a “big fight” and that a person died, a court has heard.

AN ex-girlfriend of a man standing trial for the 2019 murder of show worker Nathaniel Wailu in Cairns says he told her about a “big fight” and that a person died, a court has heard.

Kyam Keith Broadby pleaded not guilty to Mr Wailu’s murder at the start of his trial in the Cairns Supreme court on Tuesday.

His former partner Nadia Gallo gave evidence in court on Thursday.

“Kyam said he jumped on (Wailu’s) throat and kicked him and hit him in the head multiple times,” Ms Gallo told the court.

There was another person there, she said, who was “doing the same”.

“The man was bleeding out of his nose, mouth and ears,” she said.

“He was unconscious at the time.”

Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane asked Ms Gallo how it happened.

“There was something like a king hit,” she said.

She said she was told Mr Wailu tried to attack Dekoda Bell-Pickett with a hammer, which was when Mr Broadby put himself in between the two and punched him in the face.

Mr Broadby had a resultant gash on his finger, Ms Gallo said.

Ms Gallo told the court Broadby told her Mr Wailu ran into the bushes, and that when he caught up with him he jumped on his throat and hit him in the head.

Mareeba Showgrounds, where the alleged murder of Nathaniel Wailu took place in 2019. Picture supplied.

She told the court Broadby said he had been covered in blood and ran into the caravan of one of his friends to wash it off.

He also shaved off his hair, “to change his appearance for the police”, she said.

Ms Gallo said Broadby was crying and “living in a nightmare because Nathaniel died”.

Counsel Martin Longhurst suggested to Ms Gallo that her memory of that year was cloudy because it was an emotional time for her.

She had found out that Broadby was “two-timing” her with Bell-Pickett.

She agreed.

She could not repeat the exact details of the conversation she had with Broadby, she said, but “Kyam did tell me they were jumping on him”.

Longhurst suggested she was lying, that she was “inserting” that information.

“No it’s not. Kyam told me he hit him in the face and jumped on his throat.”

She agreed she did not give the police the full details of the alleged assault in her initial statement.

“I remember Kyam told me he was covered in blood,” she told the court.

“He didn’t say that did he?” Longhurst said.

“Yes he did.”

The trial before Justice Susan Brown will continue on Friday.

Originally published as Ex-girlfriend testifies Kyam Broadby was ‘living in a nightmare’ after Nathaniel Wailu died following beating