Court releases CCTV footage of Ali Sina Sharifi attacking Jake Elias with an axe

A primary school teacher was left permanently disfigured after a brutal axe attack before a wild brawl erupted in Adelaide’s CBD in shocking scenes caught on video.

A primary school teacher was left permanently disfigured after a brutal CBD axe attack on a night out.

Shocking CCTV footage shows Ali Sina Sharifi, 32, attacking Jake Elias before a wild brawl erupts on the street.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Sharifi and the victim, who was 19 at the time, were both on nights out on November 7, 2020.

At about 2am, Mr Elias and his group left the Black Bull Hotel where Sharifi was standing in a group acting aggressively.

Mr Elias’ group moved away from Sharifi’s group but encountered them again in the vicinity of the Backpacker’s Hotel.

Ali Sharifi was sentenced to home detention after the vicious axe attack. Photo: Courts SA

Ali Sharifi left Jake Elias with a permanent facial scar. Photo: Courts SA

Sharifi, who was carrying a small axe, became aggressive towards Mr Elias and his group.

“You attacked Mr Elias by initially striking him to the face such that the axe blade made contact,” Judge Carmen Matteo said.

During the nine second attack Sharifi struck Mr Elias a number of times and cut his face with him first strike.

Sharifi fled but was arrested 500m away from the scene of the attack.

His blood alcohol reading was 0.115 per cent.

Mr Elias was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Department where he was treated for his injuries, including cuts and lacerations to the back of his head.

The cut to Mr Elias’ face was an 8cm long horizontal wound to his left cheek extending to his nose.

The wound cut through to muscle, with Mr Elias retaining a permanent facial scar from this injury.

Sharifi, of Brahma Lodge, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious harm.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Elias, a primary school educator, said the attack changed everything for him and he is constantly reminded of his trauma whenever he looks in the mirror.

“He said very honestly and poignantly that “kids are brutal” and that they constantly remind him of what you did to him by asking what happened to his face,” Judge Matteo said.

The court heard Sharifi, who was born in Afghanistan, formed the belief that someone in Mr Elias’ group had racially abused members of his group.

However, he acknowledged his conduct was “utterly unjustified” and Mr Elias was entirely blameless and undeserving of the abhorrent attack.

The court heard Sharifi was given the axe earlier in the evening by a friend and holding it gave him “a foolish and dangerous sense of bravado”.

“The problem is Mr Sharifi, that with that sense of bravado came both the temptation and ability to use the weapon, which of course you did,” Judge Matteo said.

Judge Matteo sentenced Sharifi to two years and seven months, with a non-parole period of six months.
Due to the almost year Sharifi had already spent in custody and his good rehabilitation efforts, he was ordered to serve the sentence on home detention.

Originally published as Court releases CCTV footage of Ali Sina Sharifi attacking Jake Elias with an axe