Hobart man denies chasing and stabbing landlord in Moonah attempted murder trial

An attempted murder trial has begun in the Supreme Court, with a Hobart man accused of chasing and stabbing his landlord over hundreds of metres before he collapsed in front of a funeral home.

Hobart man Sean Grant Gleeson is standing trial for the attempted murder of his Moonah landlord. Picture: Chris Kidd

A Hobart man is standing trial after denying he attempted to murder his landlord, an Afghani refugee, in a stabbing attack.

On Tuesday, Sean Grant Gleeson, 53, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder dating back to November 5, 2021, in which he allegedly chased his victim and stabbed his head, neck, arms, stomach and body repeatedly over a distance of hundreds of metres.

The Supreme Court of Tasmania heard the alleged attack finally came to a halt when Mr Alizada collapsed in front of Millingtons Moonah Funeral Home, with emergency services finding him in a critical condition and both men covered in blood.

In his opening address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Mick Allen said Haji Alizada was born in Afghanistan, where he had a career of teaching martial arts.

Mr Allen said Mr Alizada fled in 2012 when the country became dangerous for people of his ethnicity, arriving in Tasmania during 2014.

Mr Alizada was working to purchase a Moonah property he was living in, leasing out rooms to others to help cover the costs.

One of the rooms was rented to a married Bhutanese couple, and the other to Mr Gleeson – who had been living there between 18 months and two years.

Mr Allen said despite living in the same house, none of the occupants had much to do with each other and that Mr Gleeson had “strange” habits, including instances where he’d ring a bell and light a fire in the backyard, in a ritual involving a small skull.

He said Mr Gleeson would also take his cat out for walks, was known for watching a lot of pornography, and would often be heard laughing to himself.

But Mr Alizada said “none of this really bothered him and he just left Mr Gleeson alone”, with the pair never arguing or having disagreements.

On the night of November 4, Mr Allen said, Mr Alizada finished work, went to the gym, then returned home to watch a Netflix movie in his bedroom.

Late that night, he heard the front door open, when Mr Gleeson allegedly swinging the bedroom door open and “without a word, stabbed Mr Alizada forcefully in the stomach with a knife”.

Mr Gleeson then allegedly drew the knife over his head and stabbed Mr Alizada to the shoulder area, saying words to the effect of: “I’m going to kill you, you bastard, you bastard, I’m going to kill you tonight”.

Bleeding heavily, Mr Alizada then pushed Mr Gleeson away and ran out the front door, receiving further wounds to his face and neck, Mr Allen said.

Mr Gleeson then allegedly chased Mr Alizada for several hundred metres, stabbing him repeatedly, with some wounds “deep and serious”.

Mr Alizada, bleeding heavily, pleaded with Mr Gleeson to stop and tried – unsuccessfully – to flag down passing cars for help, Mr Allen said.

He begged Mr Gleeson, saying “I’m dying Sean, I’m dying”, but Mr Gleeson allegedly replied “I know you’re dying, I’m going to finish you tonight”, Mr Allen said.

He was frantically trying to flag down cars for help, but no-one would stop, the court heard.

Mr Alizada was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for emergency surgery, Mr Allen said, while Mr Gleeson was found to have no wounds.

Mr Allen said Mr Gleeson admitted he stabbed Mr Alizada, but said it was in “extreme provocation” – after financial and sexual harassment from his landlord, and after he allegedly poisoned his cat.

The trial is expected to run all week.

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