Alex Robert Smith on trial over alleged murder of Tylor Bell

The Supreme Court trial of the man accused of murdering a Gympie dad at the Monkland Street intersection on Father’s Day has heard how the terrible events of that day unfolded.

A fight in the carpark of a Gympie shopping centre is alleged to have triggered the events that led to a fatal stabbing in the city on Father’s Day in 2019.

Alex Robert Smart has pleaded not guilty to murdering 26-year-old Tylor Bell on that fateful day, and is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court this week.

The court has heard that Mr Bell was stabbed while sitting in his car at the intersection of the Bruce Hwy and Monkland St, with one of the wounds so deep it penetrated his heart.

The Australian reported on Thursday that on the first day of the trial the jury heard Mr Bell was waiting for his father to get groceries at a Gympie shopping centre before his death on September 1, 2019.

Alex Robert Smart (pictured) is charged with murder over the death of Tylor Bell on the Bruce Highway at Gympie in 2019. Mr Smith has pleaded not guilty.

Crown Prosecutor Dejana Kovac told the jury a “quick exchange” took place between Mr Smart and Mr Bell as the latter was driving out of the carpark about 2.25pm that day.

The Brisbane Times reported that the court was told that the Bells drove past Mr Smart, who was on foot.

The two parties briefly spoke, before the Bells got out of their ute mid-exchange, the prosecution told the court.

The court was told more words were exchanged before Mr Bell’s father allegedly punched Mr Smart in the head, and a struggle ensued before Mr Bell separated the two men.

The court heard Mr Smart “continued to challenge” Mr Bell as he and his father drove off.

The Australian reported Mr Smart then got into another car with two other people and followed the Bells to the intersection, where traffic had stopped.

Ms Kovac told the jury Mr Smart then left the car, armed with a knife, and stabbed Mr Bell twice.

She said one of the wounds was so deep the blade “penetrated his heart”.

Mr Bell was flown to a Brisbane hospital but died from the injuries a week later.

Tylor Bell was flown to a Brisbane hospital, but died from his injuries a week later.

“The Crown case is that you would be satisfied on all the evidence the defendant at least intended to cause some grievous bodily harm to Mr Tylor Bell,” Ms Kovac said.

“We can look at the evidence … we can look at the nature of the wounds, the extent of the injuries (Smart) caused, the knife he used and so on to infer what his intent was at the relevant time.”

The Australian reported that Mr Smart’s barrister, Jakob Lodziak, argued the jury needed to consider the “why” question.

“Was it because Alex Smart actually intended to kill the deceased or at least cause him some grievous bodily harm, was it because Alex Smart was acting under a set of circumstances that meant what he did was not unlawful,” Mr Lodziak said said to the jury.

“For Mr Smart at the end of this trial, I will be asking when you look especially at that question of ‘why’, that you find it does not lead to a finding beyond reasonable doubt of murder.”

The trial is expected to run for seven days.