Committal hearing begins for Damian James Carroll who allegedly murdered Tania Lee Trickey

104 witnesses are involved in the case where a man allegedly murdered his girlfriend and dumped her body in Bluewater with people close to him saying he thought they were conspiring against him prior to her death.

Tania Lee Trickey was allegedly murdered by her new boyfriend Damian James Carroll at Bluewater on August 13th 2022, Tania was a mother to four children Picture Facebook

A man is said to have been paranoid that people were conspiring behind his back and were coming after him only days before he allegedly murdered his girlfriend and dumped her body at Bluewater, a court was told.

Damian James Carroll, who is alleged to have murdered his girlfriend Tania Lee Trickey on August 13, 2022, appeared in Townsville magistrates court by phone on Thursday for a committal hearing.

The 39-year-old has been charged with murder, committing an act intended to cause grievous bodily harm, contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically, stealing and possessing firearms, tainted property and dangerous drugs.

No pleas have been entered.

Witnesses such as family members who had contact with the man in the lead up to the alleged offence as well as investigating officers were cross-examined as the prosecution prepared for the charges to be committed to a higher court.

Damian James Carroll is charged with murdering his new girlfriend, a former Mackay woman, Tania Trickey and acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm or transmit disease over allegedly shooting at a vehicle at Yalboroo.

Police prosecutor Kimberly Rodgers-Ford said there were a total of 104 witnesses involved in the case.

The court was told Mr Carroll and Ms Trickey began living with his third cousin three weeks prior to the alleged murder.

Mr Carroll’s cousin who was living with him at the time was questioned by a defence lawyer from Legal Aid about his drug use as she had found prep wipes and a blood spotted tissue in a car they shared.

She said two days before the alleged incident, she came home from work to find

Mr Carroll agitated and paranoid and said he was talking “a million miles per hour” about how people were coming after him.

Tania Lee Trickey was allegedly murdered by her new boyfriend Damian James Carroll at Bluewater on August 13th 2022, Tania was a mother to four children Picture Facebook

That same night he told his cousin that he had a gun which she said she assumed was a means to protect himself from the people he said were after him.

“He was scattered,” she said.

“I’ve never seen him that way before … I’m assuming he was on drugs and mixing with alcohol.”

Mr Carroll’s sister also gave evidence and said his living conditions alongside his relationship with Ms Trickey had made him depressed.

“His mental health suffered greatly since he got with (Ms Trickey),” she said.

The court heard Mr Carroll would tell his sister over the phone he was concerned for his own safety because he owed someone money and that Ms Trickey and his cousin were conspiring against him.

“(Mr Carroll) was sad, depressed, he just wasn’t the same person at all,” she said.

“(Ms Trickey) was just suffocating, he didn’t want to leave the house, he was just there with her.”

Detectives who were involved in the forensic examination and who interviewed Mr Carroll after his arrest said he complied with orders and acknowledged all their questions and instructions and his behaviour wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Originally published as Committal hearing begins for Damian James Carroll who allegedly murdered Tania Lee Trickey