$40k drug deal gone wrong: Jonathan Wright appeals murder conviction of Paul Sia

A Queensland man is appealing his sentence after a jury found him guilty of murder by running down his mate on the side of the Warrego Highway after a $40k drug deal went wrong.

Jonathan Wright, 48, was sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Paul Sia, who he mowed down with his car on the side of a busy highway near Toowoomba on November 20, 2022.

A regional Queensland man who was sentenced to life in prison for the public and brutal murder of his friend over a $40,000 drug deal gone wrong is appealing his conviction.

After a four-day murder trial before Toowoomba Supreme Court in February, Jonathan Wright, 48, was found guilty of murdering Paul Sia and was sentenced to life in prison.

During the trial, Wright gave evidence stating his friendship with Mr Sia soured on the day of the hit and run in November 2022.

Wright alleged Mr Sia stole $40,000 of someone else’s money from his Toowoomba home.

Wright said he pursued Mr Sia from Toowoomba to Withcott, where he purposefully ran the father’s car off the road in an attempt to pin the vehicle and trap him inside.

Jonathan Wright, 48, was sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Paul Sia, who he mowed down with his car on the side of a busy highway near Toowoomba on November 20, 2022.

Wright said he didn’t see Mr Sia get out of the car, however CCTV of the incident was shown to the court, in which the Crown said Wright could be seen aiming for the man.

While Mr Sia lay fatally injured, Wright began collecting money strewn across the crash site.

He said he found about $17,000 of the $40,000.

Following his guilty verdict, Wright apologised to the Sia family and told them he never intended to kill their son.

During Justice Thomas Bradley’s judgment remarks, he said Wright intended to kill Mr Sia, or at least seriously injure him.

“It was in no way an equal match between you and Mr Sia,” he said.

“You were driving a two-ton vehicle with a bullbar, he was standing on the side of the road … in just shorts and a T-shirt.”

Wright is set to plead guilty to a raft of drug offences in August 2025.

Wright has a number of charges, some of which are related to the murder case, before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court, which were heard on Wednesday, July 9.

Acting on behalf of Fisher Dore Lawyers, solicitor Alysha Jacobsen told the court all of the charges could not be dealt with until the appeal process had finalised.

She noted there had been successful case conferencing on some charges, and Wright would likely be pleading guilty to drug-related offences.

The six charges before the court were possessing a schedule 1 drug exceeding schedule three, producing drugs, possessing drugs, possessing drug items, entering a premises with intent, and stealing from a person.

The drug matters will next be before the court on August 19.

If Wright’s appeal is unsuccessful, he will be eligible to apply for parole when he is 68 years old.

Originally published as $40k drug deal gone wrong: Jonathan Wright appeals murder conviction of Paul Sia