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Jason Pikula-Carroll may not have fired the shot that killed Canberra artist Eden Waugh, but “the instigator” of the “cowardly” murder will spend just as long in jail as the gunman. The 25-year-old waved goodbye to his mother on Tuesday after being sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court to 30 years behind bars, with a non-parole period of 18 years. He had previously pleaded guilty to six offences, including murder, which were jointly committed with co-offenders during two violent invasions of Mr Waugh’s unit in Watson. Justice John Burns on Tuesday described Pikula-Carroll as “the driving force” behind the first incident in September 2016. He said Pikula-Carroll had been upset with Mr Waugh, his drug dealer, about a failed heroin transaction involving an associate. When no apology or solution was immediately forthcoming, Pikula-Carroll took a shotgun and two armed co-offenders, Peter Forster-Jones and Phouthakone Sikounnabouth, to Mr Waugh’s place. The trio forced their way in and unleashed carnage, badly injuring Mr Waugh and other people inside the home while demanding drugs and cash. Justice Burns said none of the unit’s occupants put up a physical resistance, but the offenders violently assaulted them anyway. “This was intended to be retribution for the treatment of [Pikula-Carroll’s] associate earlier that day,” the judge said. Six weeks later, concerned that Mr Waugh could identify them as police investigated the incident, the trio returned to the Watson unit in a bid to stop him co-operating with authorities. This time, Sikounnabouth waited in a car as the getaway driver, while Pikula-Carroll and Forster-Jones went to the front door. Mr Waugh barricaded the entrance to stop them getting in, so Forster-Jones fired the shotgun through the door and killed him. Pikula-Carroll then dragged Mr Waugh’s partner Marion Barr across the floor by the hair as he and Forster-Jones went inside and pillaged the place of valuables. Among the things they stole was Ms Barr’s phone, which was still connected to a triple zero call as the offenders fled. In a recording of the call, Pikula-Carroll can be heard “cheering and yahooing” in praise of Forster-Jones, who he calls a “gangster”. Justice Burns on Tuesday said this “jubilant” display was a telling insight into Pikula-Carroll’s lack of remorse at the time. The judge rejected Pikula-Carroll’s claims that he was only celebrating because he feared Forster-Jones, and that he had not known that the gun was loaded or that Mr Waugh had been shot. Justice Burns described those assertions as “simply incredible”, given that Pikula-Carroll had to walk over or past Mr Waugh’s body to get into the unit, and that he had replied “I know” when Forster-Jones described having “killed a c—” in the triple zero recording. The judge went on to say the killing was “cowardly” and that it had involved “extreme callousness”. While he believed that Pikula-Carroll now felt some level of remorse, he said that was “mixed with regret” at the former apprentice chef now finding himself faced with a long jail term. The judge ultimately imposed on Pikula-Carroll the same sentence that Forster-Jones is serving. He noted that while only one had fired the fatal shot, the other had sourced the shotgun and set the events in motion. Mr Waugh’s parents were among those in the public gallery as the sentence was handed down. In a victim impact statement, his father Dave Waugh described Pikula-Carroll as being “the instigator of Eden’s brutal murder”. “Although he may not have fired the fatal shot, he is no less culpable than the shooter himself,” he said. Eden Waugh’s mother, Elaine, said it broke her heart to know that she would never again see her son: “a kind, loving and compassionate man who abhorred violence”. “It all comes back to you, Jason Pikula-Carroll,” she said. “Not content with beating Eden with your fists and gun and cutting him with a machete in the first home invasion, you murdered [him] because he could identify you and you didn’t want to go to prison. “This was not a spur of the moment decision, but cold-heartedly planned.” She ended with a message for the offender. “I hope you remember every day the consequences of your actions,” Mrs Waugh said. With time already served, Pikula-Carroll will be eligible for parole in March 2037.
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‘Instigator’ of ‘cowardly’ murder jailed for 30 years
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He will spend the same amount of time behind bars as the gunman who fired the fatal bullet.
news, crime,
2020-12-01T13:00:00+11:00
https://players.brightcove.net/3879528182001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6213189998001
https://players.brightcove.net/3879528182001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6213189998001
Eden Waugh’s parents, Elaine and Dave, speak to the media after Tuesday’s sentencing.
Jason Pikula-Carroll may not have fired the shot that killed Canberra artist Eden Waugh, but “the instigator” of the “cowardly” murder will spend just as long in jail as the gunman.
The 25-year-old waved goodbye to his mother on Tuesday after being sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court to 30 years behind bars, with a non-parole period of 18 years.
He had previously pleaded guilty to six offences, including murder, which were jointly committed with co-offenders during two violent invasions of Mr Waugh’s unit in Watson.
Justice John Burns on Tuesday described Pikula-Carroll as “the driving force” behind the first incident in September 2016.
He said Pikula-Carroll had been upset with Mr Waugh, his drug dealer, about a failed heroin transaction involving an associate.
When no apology or solution was immediately forthcoming, Pikula-Carroll took a shotgun and two armed co-offenders, Peter Forster-Jones and Phouthakone Sikounnabouth, to Mr Waugh’s place.
Jason Pikula-Carroll, who was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 years in jail. Picture: Twitter
The trio forced their way in and unleashed carnage, badly injuring Mr Waugh and other people inside the home while demanding drugs and cash.
Justice Burns said none of the unit’s occupants put up a physical resistance, but the offenders violently assaulted them anyway.
“This was intended to be retribution for the treatment of [Pikula-Carroll’s] associate earlier that day,” the judge said.
Six weeks later, concerned that Mr Waugh could identify them as police investigated the incident, the trio returned to the Watson unit in a bid to stop him co-operating with authorities.
This time, Sikounnabouth waited in a car as the getaway driver, while Pikula-Carroll and Forster-Jones went to the front door.
Mr Waugh barricaded the entrance to stop them getting in, so Forster-Jones fired the shotgun through the door and killed him.
Murder victim Eden Waugh.
Pikula-Carroll then dragged Mr Waugh’s partner Marion Barr across the floor by the hair as he and Forster-Jones went inside and pillaged the place of valuables.
Among the things they stole was Ms Barr’s phone, which was still connected to a triple zero call as the offenders fled.
Justice Burns on Tuesday said this “jubilant” display was a telling insight into Pikula-Carroll’s lack of remorse at the time.
The judge rejected Pikula-Carroll’s claims that he was only celebrating because he feared Forster-Jones, and that he had not known that the gun was loaded or that Mr Waugh had been shot.
Canberra artist Eden Waugh, who was the victim of two home invasions in late 2016.
Justice Burns described those assertions as “simply incredible”, given that Pikula-Carroll had to walk over or past Mr Waugh’s body to get into the unit, and that he had replied “I know” when Forster-Jones described having “killed a c—” in the triple zero recording.
The judge went on to say the killing was “cowardly” and that it had involved “extreme callousness”.
While he believed that Pikula-Carroll now felt some level of remorse, he said that was “mixed with regret” at the former apprentice chef now finding himself faced with a long jail term.
He noted that while only one had fired the fatal shot, the other had sourced the shotgun and set the events in motion.
Mr Waugh’s parents were among those in the public gallery as the sentence was handed down.
Eden Waugh’s parents, Elaine and Dave, outside court on Tuesday.
In a victim impact statement, his father Dave Waugh described Pikula-Carroll as being “the instigator of Eden’s brutal murder”.
“Although he may not have fired the fatal shot, he is no less culpable than the shooter himself,” he said.
Eden Waugh’s mother, Elaine, said it broke her heart to know that she would never again see her son: “a kind, loving and compassionate man who abhorred violence”.
“It all comes back to you, Jason Pikula-Carroll,” she said.
“Not content with beating Eden with your fists and gun and cutting him with a machete in the first home invasion, you murdered [him] because he could identify you and you didn’t want to go to prison.
“This was not a spur of the moment decision, but cold-heartedly planned.”
She ended with a message for the offender.
“I hope you remember every day the consequences of your actions,” Mrs Waugh said.
With time already served, Pikula-Carroll will be eligible for parole in March 2037.
