An Australian judge on Monday sentenced the teenage boy who fatally stabbed Queensland resident Emma Lovell to death on Boxing Day in 2022 to 14 years in prison.
Emma Lovell and her husband Lee were attacked outside of their home near Brisbane on December 26, 2022, by a teenager who had broken into their home. Lee Lovell survived the attack but his 41-year-old wife later died from her injuries.
The teen pleaded guilty earlier this month to multiple charges, including murder and an intentional malicious act.
During a pre-sentencing hearing, the court heard that the teen, now 19, had broken into the Lovell home with another boy, who is also facing charges. Security footage from the Lovell home showing the attack, which took place outside, was played in court.
In sentencing the teen, Justice Tom Sullivan described the attack as violent and particularly heinous. He determined that, by law, a stiffer sentence than the prescribed 10 years was applicable in the case.
Calling the crime “atrocious,” Sullivan said that the offense created “a sense of outrage” in the community. He said Lee Lovell and his two daughters have been exposed “to the trauma” that comes in the aftermath of such a violent attack.
Under Queensland law, the maximum prison time that a juvenile can serve is 70 percent of their sentence, except in special circumstances. The judge told the court that while the “childhood deprivation” threshold had been met in the case, it did not negate the seriousness of the charges and, thus would not reduce the sentence.
The teen will be eligible for release after nine years and nine months.
Following sentencing, Lee Lovell, who was stabbed twice during the attack, told reporters that while the sentence was longer than he expected, he still did not feel as though justice was served.
He said a 14-year sentence would not bring his wife back.
