A teenager who broke into a British mother's home in Australia and fatally stabbed her has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Emma Lovell, 41, was killed on Boxing Day in 2022 in Brisbane when she confronted two intruders. She had moved to Australia from Suffolk in 2011 with her husband Lee and their daughters.
The offender, who was 17 at the time and cannot be named legally, pleaded guilty to her murder earlier this year. He also admitted to three other burglary and assault charges.
In the Brisbane Supreme Court, Justice Tom Sullivan described the crime as "particularly heinous" against the Lovell family, who were building a life for themselves in Australia. "They were ordinary citizens enjoying their family life in their home where they were entitled to feel safe. What happened... violated that entirely," he said.
The court heard that the offender had a troubled upbringing, witnessing violence from a young age and turning to drugs and alcohol at 14 after his grandmother's death. However, Justice Sullivan ruled that his difficult childhood did not justify leniency, sentencing him to a minimum of nine years and nine months in prison before parole eligibility.
Another teenager charged over the incident is yet to enter pleas, with his case scheduled for a hearing later this month.
On the night of the murder, Mr. and Ms. Lovell were woken by their dogs and confronted the intruders outside their house in North Lakes, north of Brisbane. A struggle ensued in the garden, resulting in Ms. Lovell being fatally stabbed in the heart with a knife.
Despite attempts at open heart surgery on the front lawn, Ms. Lovell died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The incident sparked outrage in the community and led to Queensland introducing stricter youth crime laws.
Ms. Lovell's family, who had previously called for her killer to be jailed for life, expressed disappointment with the sentence. Speaking outside court, Mr. Lovell said, "It was good to get 14 years but it's never going to be enough... it isn't going to bring Emma back."
In a victim impact statement, Mr. Lovell expressed his profound loss, describing how he and his daughters felt "so lost in life" without their wife and mother. Ms. Lovell's mother, Marjorie Dowson, also conveyed her devastation, saying her daughter's death had "left a big hole that can never be filled."
