The former girlfriend of a carnival worker accused of murdering his colleague at a show has told a court the alleged victim was "swinging a hammer around" and threatening to hurt people.
Tasmanian man Kyam Keith Broadby, 25, is on trial at the Supreme Court in Cairns for the murder of Nathaniel Wailu at the Mareeba Show in July 2019.
Mr Wailu, who worked with the accused setting up rides on the show circuit for Tasman Pickett Amusements, was found unconscious in the grounds and died at the Townsville Hospital from severe head injuries five days later.
The court heard Mr Wailu had been drinking with several show workers, including Mr Broadby, and became aggressive, swinging a hammer at those gathered, including the accused man's former girlfriend, Dekoda Bell-Pickett.
Earlier that night, the prosecution alleges Mr Wailu attacked show worker Elizabeth Marshall, leaving her with a black eye.
The jury was played an emergency call Ms Bell-Pickett made from the showground.
"This bloke has king-hit the girl in the face and now he's holding a hammer," Ms Bell-Pickett told the triple-0 operator.
"I need you here right now.
"He hit her in the face."
Ms Bell-Pickett told the court Mr Broadby and another man, show worker Darcy Hume, attempted to "calm him [Mr Wailu] down" and that one point, Mr Wailu picked up a star picket.
"They were just saying to him [Mr Wailu], 'come on man, stop it, what's going on, this is ridiculous'," Ms Bell-Pickett told the court.
She said Mr Wailu eventually ran away into the darkness and both Mr Broadby and Mr Hume followed him.
She said the men returned to the camp separately about "five to 10 minutes later", without Mr Wailu and that she did not see Mr Broadby for several days.
Court played police bodycam vision
The court was shown harrowing bodycam vision of Mr Wailu, as he lay injured at the doorstep of a caravan within the showgrounds.
Senior Constable Justin Staples from Mareeba Police is heard urging Mr Wailu to "stay with me."
"Come on, keep breathing," he is heard telling Mr Wailu.
"Come on mate, stay with me."
Senior Constable Staples told the court Mr Wailu was laying on his side.
"His breath was struggling, it was short and sharp … he had blood on his face and the back of his head," he said.
The trial, before Justice Susan Brown, is expected to continue into next week.
