A West Moonah man has been charged with attempted murder after a dramatic string of incidents across Hobart’s northern suburbs yesterday.
55-year-old James Borth is also facing a raft of other charges, including arson, unlawfully setting fire to a property, common assault and committing an act that led to the death of an animal.
Charges for stealing, attempted motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle theft, evading police, dangerous driving and unlawfully damaging property have also been laid against him.
Borth was held in custody overnight and will appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court this morning.
It will be alleged he, after setting fire to a Moonah home, drove a stolen vehicle through the front entrance of a Qantas call centre in Dowsing Point, armed with what Inspector Jason Klug described as “some sort of axe or sharp and improvised weapon”.
There he injured a female employee, believed to have been known to him, who received minor injuries and was transported to Royal Hobart Hospital.
The incident began just before 10am on Wednesday when police were called to a home in Claremont following reports of a disturbance involving the man.
Police have since linked three crime scenes to the ordeal, including the initial altercation site in Claremont, a house fire at an address in West Moonah and the Qantas call centre.
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