Feebie McIntosh shot through heart on her bed, Brisbane court hears

A young Sunshine Coast woman was fatally shot through the heart while sitting on a bed by a friend brandishing a sawnoff .22 rifle, who was being chased for a drug debt, Brisbane Supreme Court has been told.

The alleged killer, Bradley Ian Cotten, was smirking when he fired the single shot in May, 2022, before calmly walking off, Crown Prosecutor Rebecca Marks said in her opening remarks.

She said the jury would hear evidence from witnesses that some of the group of people at the Dicky Beach home stripped Feebie Poppy McIntosh of $4000 in cash, as well as methamphetamine and cannabis, before driving her to Caloundra Base Hospital.

The 25-year-old was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital but could not be revived.

Ms Marks said witnesses would allege Mr Cotten pulled the trigger after being handed gun parts by Brandon Grant as they were sitting on a sofa in the same room of the house.

Cotten first pulled out what witness Anthony Williams, who was also present but not involved in any wrongdoing, said looked like a replica gun.

He testified that it was possibly a gel blaster, before he saw Cotten put it back in a duffel bag he was carrying.

Mr Williams said Grant then pulled out a sawnoff .22 rifle from a hoodie under his arm and told those in the room: “That’s not a gun, now that’s a gun.’’

He handed it to Cotten, followed by a magazine, but it did not fit the weapon, Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams said Grant then threw a firing bolt at Cotten, saying “here you go’’ before telling those in the room that the gun would not work without it.

“Brad (Cotten) put the bolt in the gun. He pushed it forward and locked it down. Then he aimed it and shot her,’’ Mr Williams said.

“He was smirking. She was sitting cross legged on the bed and she gave me a smile.’’

He said she then slumped over.

Mr Williams and a relative in the public gallery sobbed loudly at that point before Mr Williams collected himself.

He stated that he shouted at Cotten “what the f— did you just do?’’

He claimed Cotten replied: “She’s a dog bro, she’s a dog.’’

He said Cotten was calm throughout but Grant had a “panicked look’’.

Ms Marks told the jury that witnesses would allege Grant asked his friend why he shot Ms McIntosh.

The jury heard witnesses would state that Cotten replied: “Because you told me.’’

But the witnesses would claim Grant retorted: “No I didn’t’’ before starting to cry.

The court heard Grant got a friend to check him in to a Sunshine Coast hotel after the shooting, so it wasn’t in his name.

Police pulled him over later that day in a borrowed car and found $4000, meth, cannabis and a tick (drug debt) sheet.

Ms Marks told the jury they would hear evidence, including CCTV footage and multiple witness statements, alleging an associate “called in’’ an $1800 drug debt Cotten owed, on the day before the alleged murder.

Cotten then travelled to the Sunshine Coast and went to the home where a group gathered on the fateful morning, including Ms McIntosh.

Ms Marks said it was the Crown’s contention that Cotten intended to murder or cause grievous bodily harm to Ms McIntosh and that Grant knew he intended to do so.

Both have been charged with murder but both have pleaded not guilty.

Barrister Angus Edwards, KC, for Grant, told the jury in his opening remarks that they could not convict his client of murder if there was a plausible explanation to suggest Grant did not know his friend would shoot Ms McIntosh.

He asked them to pay attention to evidence such as how Cotten was supposedly calm throughout the incident, while Grant was visibly upset.

“There’s no dispute in this trial that Mr Grant handed gun parts to Mr Cotten,’’ he said.

“There’s no dispute Ms McIntosh’s drugs were found in his possession.’’

But he would contend his client “clearly had no idea what Mr Cotten was going to do’’, otherwise he would not have made the “Crocodile Dundee’’ reference to the size of the sawnoff rifle.

“The Crown case that Mr Grant knew what Mr Cotten was going to do is completely circumstantial,’’ he told the jury.

However Ms Marks told them they could infer that Mr Grant did in fact know.

But Mr Williams later admitted, under cross examination from Cotten’s barrister Kylie Hillard, that he lied in parts of his first written statement to police.

He eventually made three police statements.

She put to him that in his first statement he claimed to have arrived at the home after the shooting and saw Cotten rush out but told police he didn’t know who shot Ms McIntosh.

Mr Williams eventually conceded that “I was afraid for my life.”

Ms Hillard also put it to him that he claimed in his original statement that he alone got Ms McIntosh to his car, telling them she was “heavy as”.

She put to him that in his third statement he made no mention of anyone going through Ms McIntosh’s clothing and removing items.

He insisted his memory of the day was “perfect’’ dspite Grant’s counsel, Angus Edwards, pointing out to him that he had given different accounts while in the witness box and in court in 2024 and in all three plice statements.

He also admitted he was intoxicated on the day, at one point saying he was under the influence of cannabis and in the 224 testimony agreeing with a suggestion he was on ice.

The trial continues.