Father’s Day shooting of Clinton Pollock: Zachary John Hall free as murder charge downgraded

A Queenslander has convinced a court he did not plan or carry out the shooting of a man on Father’s Day in 2018, only that he fled the scene of the crime.

A Queensland court has heard that Zachary John Hall was bracing for a brawl when he drove himself and three mates to the home of Clinton “Rocky” Pollock on Father’s Day 2018.

But Mr Hall’s legal team has successfully argued their client had no idea the 35-year-old Deception Bay dad would cop a bullet to the chest at close range.

Mr Hall is one of four people charged in relation to Mr Pollock’s death on the night of September 2, 2018, and until Tuesday had been facing shared responsibility for his killing.

But defence counsel Angus Edwards convinced the Supreme Court of Queensland Mr Hall did not plan Mr Pollock’s death or pull the trigger, something that helped secure him a lesser charge and, after 1344 days, his release from custody.

Clinton “Rocky” Pollock died from a bullet to the chest on Father’s Day 2018.

Mr Hall, now 32, walked free on Tuesday after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact in Mr Pollock’s shooting.

Mr Edwards for more than a year had been pushing for the charges to be downgraded on the basis Mr Hall’s culpability was merely fleeing the scene of Mr Pollock’s death with the others.

But a series of delays and administrative errors by the Department of Public Prosecutions meant the office only recently agreed to the accessory charges.

This means the bulk of Mr Hall’s four-year-sentence handed down by Justice Susan Brown on Tuesday had already been served, with Mr Hall effectively being stuck in prison for a year more than he should have been.

The final four months of his sentence have been suspended for the next four years.

“You have children, you need to be a father who is going to be away from these courts for a very long time to come,” Justice Brown said.

On Tuesday the court heard by September 2018 Mr Hall had spiralled into the drug world and was on parole for possession of methamphetamine, when he and three others drove around to Mr Pollock’s home.

Mr Hall’s defence counsel Angus Edwards for more than a year had been pushing for the charges to be downgraded on the basis his culpability was merely fleeing the scene of Mr Pollock’s death.

The court heard the group had intended to speak Mr Pollock over a drug matter but, after a terse exchange at the front door, Mr Pollock was shot.

One of the men present, Justin John Meale, has been charged with Mr Pollock’s murder.

He is scheduled to face a two-week trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on November 14.

The court on Tuesday heard Mr Hall and his three acquaintances quickly bailed into his car and fled the scene, with Mr Hall at one point driving the getaway vehicle.

Prosecutor Philip McCarthy also noted that Mr Hall only later found out that Mr Pollock had died.

Prosecutor Philip McCarthy noted Mr Meale’s older brother Joshua Michael Meale and another friend, Christian Sands, had already admitted to being an accessory after the fact and had each been jailed for the crime.

Mr McCarthy also noted that Mr Hall only later found out that Mr Pollock had died.

The court heard Mr Hall was cooperative when contacted by police in the days following, and showed remorse and shame over his role in the matter, something that helped mitigate his eventual sentence.

Justice Brown also noted that he is also a decent rehabilitation prospect, and that he now intends to move in with his fiancee and work on his father in law’s farm, while also reconnecting with his two young children.

“Do not let Clinton Pollock‘s death just be a statistic,” Justice Brown said.