No unanimous verdict yet in Peniola Liu trial in Cairns court for murder over fatal assault of Alex Ollson

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill has told the jury in the trial of man charged with murder over the bashing death of a young father in Innisfail to go home and “sleep on it” after they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill has told the jury in the trial of man charged with murder over the bashing death of a young father in Innisfail to go home and “sleep on it” after they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

At the beginning of the trial, Peniola Liu, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to the murder of Alex Ollson in December 2020.

Mr Ollson, a father of two, died early on the morning of Saturday, December 19, 2020 after Liu assaulted him at the Edith Street taxi rank in Innisfail.

Alex Ollson, 28, died during a fatal assault at the Edith Street taxi rank in Innisfail. Picture Facebook

The jury began its deliberations on Thursday morning after the summing up from Chief Justice Bowskill.

After nearly six hours, the jury told the court they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Chief Justice Bowskill directed them to return to the task with fresh minds on Friday morning.

The court was shown graphic footage during the trial of the assault as Liu approached Mr Ollson and punched him in the head, knocking him to the ground.

Repeated punches to the head

Footage showed Mr Ollson sitting up and Liu approaching him again and punching him again in the head.

Mr Ollson stood and then a third time Liu approached him and punched him in the head. Mr Ollson fell and hit his head on a metal grate and died not long after.

Liu perceived that Mr Ollson had said something derogatory about his partner and had set out to “teach him a lesson”, the court was told.

Liu’s defence counsel, Michael Dalton, told the court that Liu intended to knock Mr Ollson down but that was all.

‘Intent not to kill’ says defence

“Ultimately he says to you, ‘My intent was not to kill or to cause serious grievous bodily harm’.”

Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane put it to jurors during the trial that they might accept it was human nature for someone to “act in the red mist” and regret their actions later.

He told jurors that Mr Liu cared about the consequences of his actions to himself, and asked them if he was weighing up prison time and not seeing his own son again, or that a 28-year-old father of two had lost his life.

Originally published as No unanimous verdict yet in Peniola Liu trial in Cairns court for murder over fatal assault of Alex Ollson