Jury deadlocks in Tara Morrison murder trial; Sorgiovanni faces retrial

The jury weighing the murder charge against James Anthony Sorgiovanni could not agree. After starting deliberations on Monday afternoon, jurors spent days on the case before failing to reach a unanimous verdict and being discharged today. Sorgiovanni, 29, now faces a retrial.

Tara Morrison's body was found stuffed in a wardrobe at the Busselton house Sorgiovanni shared with his girlfriend, Hannah Louise Glover, in 2024. Glover had also been charged with murder but pleaded guilty part-way through the trial. Her plea followed evidence from an inmate who said Glover — formerly Morrison's girlfriend — had confessed to the killing in prison.

Giving evidence, Glover described stabbing her former girlfriend multiple times in several locations inside the house. She told the jury Sorgiovanni held Morrison while she attacked her, but that he was the last one to stab the victim. The court heard Morrison had been planning to stay at the house, and that methylamphetamine and GHB were used on the night of the murder.

Defence lawyer Lisa Boston told the jury Sorgiovanni was under the influence of drugs at the time, woke to find Glover attacking Morrison, and could not effectively prevent it. Under cross-examination by Boston, the prisoner Glover confessed to said Glover made no mention of Sorgiovanni initially, and that Glover told her he grabbed her in a bear hug and tried to drag her away.

In closing submissions, prosecutor Michael Cvetkoski showed the jury a photo of Morrison's left hand, pointing to a serious injury he described as a defensive wound. He argued her right hand was being restrained and could not be used as a defensive mechanism. The court was also shown crime scene photos with blood on the floor and walls of the house.

Glover's sentencing date has not been set.