Tongan national Peniola Liu faces Cairns Supreme Court charged with murder of Alex Ollson in Innisfail

Footage of a man savagely punching another in the head was shown to a jury as a murder trial opened in the Cairns Supreme Court.

Footage of a man savagely punching another in the head was shown to a jury as a murder trial opened in the Cairns Supreme Court.

Tongan national Peniola Liu, who was 30 at the time of the fatal assault on Saturday, December 19, 2020, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Alex Ollson, 28, who died during the incident at the Edith Street taxi rank in Innisfail.

Mr Liu has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The court was told the men had attended the Crown Hotel in Innisfail.

Punched in the head

The CCTV footage showed Mr Liu walking up to Mr Ollson, a father of two, standing close to him and then punching him several times.

Mr Ollson falls, sits up, Mr Liu punches him again and he falls again.

Mr Ollson then stands and Mr Liu walks to him again and hits him again.

On the final time, Mr Ollson falls and appears to hit his head on a metal grate on the ground.

Alex Ollson, 28, was killed at Edith Street in Innisfail. He left behind a partner and two young children.

“It’s a circumstantial case, Mr Liu doesn’t tell us what’s in his mind,” Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court in his initial address.

“The Crown only has to prove he had an intention to cause at least grievous bodily harm to Mr Ollson on that night.”

The court was told that Mr Liu allegedly asked Mr Ollson: “What did you say about my missus?” in response to an alleged slight.

“He had a smile for everyone, he died on a grate at the Innisfail taxi rank,” Mr Crane told the court.

The Crown Hotel, Innisfail, where the men had been drinking before the incident. Picture: File

“Mr Ollson’s acquaintances will testify they did not hear him say anything,” Mr Crane said.

The court was told that the two men did not know each other before the fatal assault.

In his opening address to jurors, defence counsel Michael Dalton said the case was not about consequences, but intent.

“I admit on behalf of Mr Liu that Peniola Liu unlawfully killed Mr Ollson,” he said.

“What it means is that there is no contest that my client’s actions caused the death of Mr Ollson, that’s not in dispute, he accepts that his conduct was not authorised or excused by law.”

He said the trial was about what Mr Liu intended to do when he assaulted Mr Ollson.

“You’ve just seen that, it doesn’t make easy viewing. All violence is ugly. It doesn’t necessarily follow there that he is guilty of murder. I acknowledge that it’s confronting for you.”

The trial is expected to last four days and is proceeding before Chief Justice Helen Bowskill.

Originally published as Tongan national Peniola Liu faces Cairns Supreme Court charged with murder of Alex Ollson in Innisfail