Sophia Michaels
A teenage girl has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for stabbing her mom to death after breaking into her home in Australia.
Emma Lovell, 41, was killed when confronting two intruders with her husband in Brisbane on Boxing Day in 2022.
The mum-of-two, originally from Ipswich, tried to defend their home with their daughters inside.
A “scuffle” broke out on the front porch and neighbours heard one of her daughters screaming “help my mum, help my mum” it was reported.
Emma was stabbed in the chest and later died from her injuries, while her husband, Lee was released after a non-life-threatening stab wound.
The brutal attack, which took place outside the family home, was captured on CCTV and played to a court packed with loved ones of Mrs Lovell including her two daughters.
Emma had moved from Suffolk in 2011 in the hope of a better life, her brother previously said. However, the “loving family” was ripped apart after a teenager broke into their home and stabbed the mum to death.
The offender, who cannot legally be named as he was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to her murder earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to several charges including murder and malicious act with intent.
Now aged 19, he was sentenced at Brisbane’s Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, May 13.
During sentencing the court heard the now 19-year-old had been in the company of another boy at the time, who is also facing charges but has not yet entered a plea.
Emma Lovell’s attack caused community outrage and was among several which prompted the state of Queensland to controversially introduce stricter youth crime laws.
During sentencing Justice Tom Sullivan said Ms Lovell’s murder was a “particularly heinous” crime. He said the Lovells had been a “loving family” building a life for themselves in a new country.
He added: “They were ordinary citizens enjoying their family life in their home where they were entitled to feel safe. What happened… violated that entirely.”
Outside court, Emma’s husband Lee said while he was pleased with the sentence, it would never bring his wife back.
He said: “No, I don’t feel justice is served one bit really, no.
“We’ve got up to 10 years which is more than I thought it was going to be.”
He added: “It kept my mind off Mother’s Day because it would have been a very different day if Emma was here.”
Ms Lovell’s family has previously called for her killer to be jailed for life.
Adults in Queensland face a mandatory life sentence for murder, however, the offender had to be sentenced as a child due to his age at the time of the incident.
