‘A big hole in his chest’: Witnesses relive fatal stabbing

A man who was with his son when he was stabbed at a Gympie intersection in broad daylight on Father’s Day has told court his recollection of the moments surrounding the deadly incident.

Gympie father Tylor "TJ" Bell (left) died seven days after he was allegedly stabbed by Alex Smart (right) who yesterday was committed to stand trial for murder.

A man who was in the same car as his son when he was allegedly stabbed in broad daylight at a Gympie intersection has relived the moments that followed, in court.

"I think he stabbed me. I don't feel real good," he told the Gympie court his son uttered as he stood next to the car "with a big hole in his chest".

One week later Tylor "TJ" Bell died in a Brisbane hospital from his injuries.

His father, Gregory Bell, was yesterday called as a witness in a committal hearing of Alex Robert Smart - the man accused of murdering his son.

Clean-shaven and dressed in prison khakis, Mr Smart was brought into Gympie Magistrates Court from custody yesterday as six witnesses gave evidence in the hearing.

A group of Mr Smart's supporters sat in court.

Tylor Bell (pictured above) was a father of five.

 

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He sat expressionless as Mr Bell (the dead man's father) gave evidence that Mr Smart stabbed his son while they were stopped at a red light on the Bruce Highway and Monkland St intersection on Father's Day (September 1) in 2019.

He said his son was driving and he was a passenger when they stopped at the intersection.

He told the court he saw that Mr Smart was approaching their car and alerted his son.

"As I said that my son wound the window down he was already running up to the car," he told court.

"He ran up to the Ute. He slammed the door on my son.

"He was trying to exit the car when he got pinned in the door."

Mr Bell said he got out of the car himself and ran around the back of the Ute.

He said his son "was standing there freaking about what had just happened."

He said his son "had a big hole in his chest" and told him:

"I think he stabbed me. I don't feel real good."

Three other witnesses called on in court yesterday had been either driving or passengers in other cars stopped at the red light on Father's Day in 2019.

Alex Robert Smart is accused of murdering a Gympie father of five after an alleged stabbing at a Gympie intersection. Pictures: Facebook

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Francesco and Lee-anne Nastasi were in a car that pulled up behind Mr Bell's white Ute in the northbound lane near Toucan Coffee.

Mr Nastasi said he saw a silver hatchback pull up next to the white Ute and someone get out of the back of the car and start arguing with the driver of the white Ute.

"He rushed towards the car and you could hear loud words - can't say which words … it was clear to me there was an argument," Mr Nastasi told the court.

He said he saw the man with a knife.

"To me it looked like he was punching the person in the front (of the white Ute)," he said.

He said he saw the Ute's driver door open as the punching was happening.

Mrs Nastasi said during the incident a passenger in the white Ute got out and ran around behind the back of the Ute and as he did so the passenger from the silver hatchback got back into the hatchback which sped off through the red light while the door was still being closed.

Another witness, Renee Cartwright, who was stopped two vehicles behind the white Ute said she saw the man from the silver hatchback run straight towards the driver's side of the white Ute.

"I thought he was punching the man through the car window. It all happened so quickly," Ms Cartwright said.

She then said she saw a knife in the man's hand "being held up high for everyone to see" when he was back near the car.

She says she did not see any blood.

Murder accused Alex Robert Smart. Picture: Facebook

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Two people who had been in the silver hatchback with Mr Smart also gave evidence.

Taneeka Stewart, who was a front seat passenger, said Tylor Bell got out of his car before Mr Smart had gotten out of their car and "it all happened so quickly."

Tamsyn Brooke Lindsay, who had been driving the silver hatchback said "the driver of the white Ute was mouthing off and jumped out of the car towards us."

"He stepped towards my car - he had some sort of weapon in his hand," she said.

"He smacked the back of my car and damaged it … possibly with a metal bar."

She said it was silver in colour but didn't know how long it was.

She said Mr Smart got out of the car "as a normal reaction … if there are two females in the car and someone is coming to attack the car."

She said a "five-second scuffle" took place between the two cars and Mr Smart's hand was cut open so they drove to the hospital.

"We got to the hospital and they pulled up and attacked us again," she said.

Police prosecutor Campbell questioned a statement the final witness had made to police days after the alleged stabbing regarding sighting the weapon.

Stabbing victim Tylor Bell

 

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She said it differed to what she was saying now.

The witness said she had been in shock at the time.

Magistrate Kurt Fowler said the evidence against Mr Smart was sufficient to formally charge him with the murder of Tylor John Bell.

When asked if he wanted to speak, Mr Smart responded calmly.

" No thank you your honour," he said.

He was committed to trial and remanded in custody.

The matter was adjourned for mention in Gympie Magistrates Court on July 26, this year.

The defendant is excused from appearing on the date.

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