Court shoots down appeal bid in 'Wild West' murder case
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.
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