Court shoots down appeal bid in 'Wild West' murder case
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Perth Now
01-07-2025
- Perth Now
‘Ridiculous Mexican standoff' killing
In a violent confrontation described by a court as a 'ridiculous Mexican standoff', a man was fatally shot outside his Deception Bay home in 2018. On Tuesday, the Queensland Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by the shooter, Justin John Meale, upholding his life sentence for murder. The case stems from a dramatic and deadly confrontation over a failed drug deal between Meale and Clinton 'Rocky' Pollock that escalated on the night of September 2, 2018. Mr Pollock, who had a reputation for violence, sent a series of threatening messages to Meale, including one warning that he would 'spray your hole house up'. Donna Pollock, the mother of slain man Clinton Pollock, wept tears of joy outside court upon a guilty verdict being handed down for her son's killer, Justin John Meale. NewsWire/Tertius Pickard Credit: News Corp Australia Meale then arrived at Pollock's Deception Bay home armed with a loaded, shortened .22 rifle concealed down his pants. During a tense exchange described in court as a 'ridiculous Mexican standoff', Meale fatally shot an unarmed Mr Pollock outside the house. Mr Pollock's sister, who lived with him and her son, was woken about 11.30pm by the sound of a car and witnessed the shooting. After her brother was shot, she helped him back inside and attempted to call police, but Mr Pollock grabbed the phone from her. Her screams woke her son, who found Mr Pollock 'hunched over on the couch in the lounge room gasping for air'. Clinton 'Rocky' Pollock was shot dead outside his Deception Bay home in September 2018. Justin John Meale was found guilty of his murder at the Brisbane Supreme Court. Credit: News Corp Australia The nephew's girlfriend, along with a neighbour, helped lay Mr Pollock on the floor. He died shortly after. Meale claimed he intended only to wound Mr Pollock, aiming for the shoulder, and said he fled the scene out of fear of being shot. Following the shooting, Meale and his companions attempted to hide the weapon and misled police by providing false information. He lied about his presence at the scene, involvement in the shooting, gun ownership, and the location where the firearm was disposed of. At trial, these actions were presented as evidence of a 'consciousness of guilt'. The jury returned their verdict after less than an hour of deliberation. Mr Pollock (pictured) and Meale got into a 'Mexican standoff' after a drug deal fell through. Credit: News Corp Australia Justice Thomas Bradley handed down a mandatory life sentence, noting Meale's history of drug use, developmental challenges, including Asperger's syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, and limited formal education but emphasising the gravity of the offence. In the Court of Appeal, Meale challenged whether he had the necessary intent for murder and argued that self-defence should apply. However, the court, led by president Mullins and justices Brown and Wilson, found the original jury was properly instructed, and the evidence supported the verdict beyond reasonable doubt. The court unanimously dismissed the appeal, confirming the life sentence and rejecting claims of judicial error.
Perth Now
01-07-2025
- Perth Now
Court shoots down appeal bid in 'Wild West' murder case
A man who claimed he was defending himself in a Wild West-style stand-off when he fatally shot another man over a drug dispute has failed to overturn his murder conviction. Justin John Meale was found guilty in November 2022 by a Queensland Supreme Court jury of the murder of Clinton "Rocky" Pollock at Deception Bay on Father's Day in September 2018. The Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed Meale's bid to overturn his conviction and be granted a new trial. Court of Appeal president Debra Mullins found the trial judge did not make an error by instructing the jury it could find Meale's lies to police and disposal of the .22 rifle were evidence of "conscious guilt of murder". "(Meale) was convicted of murder on a strong prosecution case," Justice Mullins said in her judgment. Meale's barrister at trial told the jury the scene was like something out of the Wild West or an episode of the TV show Justified where two characters draw guns against each other. The pair had earlier traded text messages with increasing hostility after a deal to exchange bullets for a gram of methamphetamine had gone sour. Mr Pollock had texted Meale "u think that little toy gonna scare me", referring to Meale's .22 rifle, and claimed he had a gun that could "spray" bullets at Meale's home. "u got one bullet in chamber i got fifteen," Pollock texted. Meale fired a single .22 calibre bullet from a sawn-off rifle, which struck Mr Pollock to the torso and fatally damaged his vital organs as he stood in his home north of Brisbane. The jury heard Meale yelled "how dare you threaten my family" just before witnesses heard a gunshot. Meale later told police he saw Mr Pollock "jerked" in a way that suggested he was about to pull out a semi-automatic firearm. Meale claimed he fired first to wound Mr Pollock and teach him a lesson but was surprised to later learn he had died. The trial judge handed Meale a life sentence with a 16 year non-parole period due to time already served.
Canberra Times
01-07-2025
- Canberra Times
Court shoots down appeal bid in 'Wild West' murder case
Meale's barrister at trial told the jury the scene was like something out of the Wild West or an episode of the TV show Justified where two characters draw guns against each other.
