Queensland Man on Trial for Fatal Punch During 'Boys' Trip'

It was a "boys' trip to the races" in country Queensland that ended in tragedy.

A Supreme Court jury in Toowoomba has heard the opening addresses in the trial of Brisbane man Maua Lagaaia, who has pleaded not guilty to unlawful striking causing death.

The court heard Mr Lagaaia allegedly punched Lincoln Hoad on the jaw on a drunken night out in Dalby, 200 kilometres west of Brisbane, on September 16, 2023.

The 32-year-old from Dalby fell and hit his head on the cement and was taken to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition.

He later died from his injuries.

His family and long-term partner were present in the courtroom for day one of the trial.

Crown Prosecutor Michael Gawrych told the jury Mr Lagaaia and his friends had travelled from Brisbane to Dalby for the Dalby races and had spent most of the day drinking at various pubs around the country Queensland town.

Mr Hoad was sitting in the pokies room at the Criterion Hotel when he first interacted with Mr Lagaaia, the jury was told.

They had a brief interaction, where Mr Lagaaia congratulated Mr Hoad on a win, and Mr Hoad told him to "piss off", the court heard.

The next time they interacted was several hours later, outside the Australian Hotel after 1am.

Today the court heard from four witnesses, three of whom were Mr Lagaaia's friends, who were with him the night in question.

Mr Lagaaia saw Mr Hoad walking towards him as he and his friends were entering their hotel for the night and called out, 'Hey that's the fella who was winning at the pokies.'

The interaction turned hostile. In less than 6 seconds, Mr Hoad was lying on the ground with critical injuries.

CCTV footage captured the two men fighting and the punch that felled Mr Hoad.

The jury heard Mr Lagaaia, who was holding a traffic cone he had picked up during the night, did not render first aid to Mr Hoad but instead went up to his room while his friends rang Triple Zero (000).

Defence barrister Craig Eberhardt said he would argue that Mr Lagaaia was acting in self-defence.

"One deep breath in and out: 6 seconds," Mr Eberhardt said.

"That's how long Maua had to react to being assaulted by Mr Hoad and he made a decision to defend himself."

But the prosecutor, Mr Gawrych, said Mr Lagaaia's version of events was "unreliable" and that there were a number of "factual variations" in what triggered the fatal encounter.

"There was no lawful justification of the killing of Mr Hoad," he told the jury.

Over the next few days, the court will hear from a police officer at the Dalby Criminal Investigations Branch, and a forensic scientist.

The trial, before Chief Justice Helen Bowskill, continues on Tuesday.