‘Wild and woolly’: Man accused of drunken shooting of old mate

A “wild and woolly” drinking session that got out of hand and led to a fatal shooting at a Watsonville property will be the focus of a Supreme Court murder trial.

A “wild and woolly” drinking session that got out of hand and led to a fatal shooting at a Watsonville property will be the focus of a murder trial that began on Monday.

Ashley James Fornier pleaded not guilty to murdering his childhood school friend Paul Carroll at a West Bishoff Mill Rd property on November 23, 2021.

Crown Prosecutor Nathan Crane in his opening address told the court Mr Carroll drove with his mother Michelle Carroll to Atherton the morning he was fatally shot before drinking at the Barron Valley Hotel, buying takeaway beer and heading home to Watsonville.

Paul “Pauly” Carroll fatally shot in Watsonville in 2021. Picture: Facebook

He was later invited to the Fornier family home by the accused.

Taking up the offer all was well until at about 4pm when the dynamic between the friends soured, Mr Crane said.

A verbal argument ensued before Mr Carroll assaulted Mr Fornier, who fell to the ground with a bloody laceration above his eye, the court was told.

Ninety seconds later Mr Carroll was fighting for life suffering a bullet wound to the chest fired from the barrel of an semiautomatic SKS rifle, Mr Crane said.

Paramedics were called but the 35-year-old died at the scene.

Mr Crane told the jury this was not a case of “who dunnit”, but rather why the victim was gunned down.

Ashley James Fornier is accused of murdering Paul Carroll at a Watsonville property in 2021.

“What your determination will really revolve around is, is he justified to pull that trigger so that Paul Carroll did not have another minute of his life to live,” he said.

Following the physical altercation between the men Mr Crane told the court 90 seconds passed, during which time Mr Fornier, leaving a trail of blood, walked to a donga and returned to Mr Carroll with a rifle and fired one shot.

Defence barrister Brydie Bilic told the court the facts surrounding the case were largely agreed upon but she said it was never her client’s intention to kill.

“I’ll ask you to pay close attention to Ashley forming a state of mind at two distinct points, one when the gun is produced, and secondly, when the gun is fired,” she said.

“And as we go through this trial I flag with you now that you’re going to hear some strange things, it’s a little wild and woolly.”

A harrowing triple-0 call made by the accused’s mother Janet Fornier immediately after the shooting was played to the jury.

“There has been a drunken fight, someone has been shot. I think he’s dead,” she told the triple-0 operator.

Later during day one of the trial Mr Carroll’s mother Michelle Carroll told the court at the West Bishoff Mill Rd property two friends enjoyed jovial conversation before something she said rubbed Mr Fornier the wrong way.

“Evidently I had said something that had changed the mood. Paul was saying that I did not mean any maliceness with what I had said,” Ms Carroll told the court.

“He was very aggravated, he was standing and yelling. Paul was backing me up saying she didn’t mean it that way.”

Ms Carroll left the area to use the bathroom and returned to find her son shot in the chest.

The trial continues before Justice Jim Henry.

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Originally published as ‘Wild and woolly’: Man accused of drunken shooting of old mate