The young woman who stabbed her mother to death before being shot dead by police had a troubled past that included home invasions and drug charges.
Joanne Perry, 53, died Friday night when she was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest by her daughter Carly Pirronelli, 26.
Officers were called to Kett St in Lower Plenty, 16km north-east of the Melbourne CBD at around 10am. 6:30 p.m. Friday, following reports of Pirronelli trying to set his mother on fire.
Upon arrival, officers said they were challenged by Pirronelli, who was armed with a knife, and despite being told to drop the weapon, continued to plunge the blade into his mother’s torso and neck.
Pirronelli, who was out on bail for an unrelated matter and the subject of an apprehended assault warrant, was shot by a police officer and died at the scene.
Carly Pirronelli, 26, stabbed her mother to death before she was shot dead by police
Carly Pirronelli (pictured) had a dark past which included home invasions and drug charges
Joanne Perry (pictured), 53, died on Friday night when she was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest by her daughter Carly Pirronelli
Just over a year ago, she appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with home invasion.
She was alleged to have entered a Kingsbury home as a trespasser in the company of one or more persons while another person was inside the house on February 21, 2023.
It was further alleged that Pirronelli entered the Lowell Avenue home with ‘intent to assault a person’ and she was also charged with possession of cannabis.
The home invasion charge was eventually dropped in August after prosecutors withdrew their case.
Magistrate Belinda Franjic said only the charge of possession of cannabis would be brought forward.
The judge said she took into account Pirronelli’s ‘lack of prior conviction or finding of guilt’.
“The criminal charges, the home invasion charge, have been dropped after being withdrawn by the prosecution,” she said.
Prior to the horrific double tragedy, mother and daughter appeared to have a close and happy relationship.
Photos posted on their social media profiles show them smiling widely with their arms around each other.
On one occasion, they even joked about what their graves would look like.
Pirronelli tagged his mother in the comments section of a Facebook post showing a grave site with cannabis plants growing out of it and the caption ‘How my grave will look’.
“Next to your cascade bottles (and) brands of guitar,” Pironelli wrote with a smiley emoji.
‘OMG haha,’ her mother replied.
An online exchange between Joanne Perry and her daughter Carly Pirronelli is pictured
Mother and daughter Joanne Perry (left) and Carly Pirronelli (right) are pictured
Mrs Perry (left) and her daughter Carly Pirronelli (right) are pictured at Christmas
The mother and daughter (left and right respectively) are pictured in a selfie taken by Carly Pirronelli
Carly Pirronelli (left) is pictured with her mother Joanne Perry. Both women are now dead
Speaking about the shooting of Pirronelli, Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Scott Colson said the officer had no choice but to discharge his firearm.
“It’s a terrible situation,” he said. ‘They (police) don’t go to work expecting to draw their firearms and be involved in these kinds of tragedies.’
Superintendent Scott Colson said he was ‘comfortable’ with the officer’s actions when confronted with the ‘horrific situation’.
“Police were confronted by the daughter stabbing the mother and have urged the daughter to drop the knife,” he said.
‘However, she continued to stab the mother … tragically both the mother and daughter died at the scene.’
Neighbors said they heard several gunshots during the incident on the normally quiet street.
It is understood other people were inside the home at the time of the fatal attack, but the triple-O call came from neighbours.
Mother and daughter are pictured. Carly Pirronelli (left) killed her mother (right) on Friday
Officers had responded to reports from neighbors that the daughter was trying to set her mother on fire at the Lower Plenty property, but were instead confronted by her repeatedly stabbing the elderly woman when they arrived.
The mother, 53, died at the Kett St property and officers were forced to shoot the daughter, 26
In a statement, Victoria Police said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
Detectives from the Homicide Squad will investigate the incident with oversight from the Professional Standards Command, which is standard protocol when a police firearm is discharged.
Ms Perry is the 17th woman killed in Australia this year and the fourth this month.
According to Australian Femicide Watch, there have been two femicides per week since the year began.
The tragic incident unfolded on Kett St in Lower Plenty, Melbourne. Image: Google Maps