A teenager who murdered a mother-of-two after breaking into her home had previously been convicted of dozens of crimes but had not spent a day in custody.
Emma Lovell, 41, was fatally stabbed in the heart after two boys, both aged 17, broke into her home north of Brisbane at around 11.30pm on Boxing Day 2022.
One teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, regularly breached probation orders even while attending weekly court-ordered sessions in a program called Changing Habits and Achieving Goals.
The young man, now 19 years old, who already had a long criminal record when he broke into the Lovell family home, pleaded guilty to murder, armed and accompanied burglary, malicious act with intent and assault causing bodily harm.
Judge Tom Sullivan sentenced him to 14 years in prison with a non-parole period of almost 10 years in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday.
It was one of the longest prison sentences imposed on a juvenile offender.
Emma Lovell (pictured) was fatally stabbed in the heart after two boys, then aged 17, broke into her Brisbane home at around 11.30pm on Boxing Day 2022.
Lee Lovell and his daughters Kassie (left) and Scarlett (right) pictured outside court.
In sentencing comments, the court heard the teenager was a repeat thief and car thief whose life of crime began when he was 15.
Within two years, his extensive record had increased to 84 crimes.
The judge noted that none of the previous convictions had involved violence, the Mail reported.
Sixteen of the 84 previous crimes involved robbery or attempted robbery,
On one such occasion, he fled when confronted by the homeowner, and was confronted by a dog during another robbery.
Judge Sullivan said the teenager’s main objective was to break into houses to take car keys so he could steal a vehicle.
Another 11 crimes on his record were breaking into or stealing cars.
“He was not remanded in custody for any of the 84 offences,” the judge said.
In July 2021, the teenager was given a three-month probation order, followed by a nine-month probation order in February 2022, a six-month probation order in May 2022 and another probation order. for six months in July 2022.
Pictured is the Lovell family (left to right), Emma, Kassie, Scarlett and Lee.
The judge said that during each of those probation periods, the teen attended weekly meetings with a juvenile justice social worker for 45 minutes to an hour in the Changing Habits and Achieving Goals program.
“This was a research-based program that sought to directly attack criminal behavior against property, with a view to reducing their future crimes,” the judge said.
Judge Sullivan said the fact the teenager was subject to several probation orders when he murdered Ms Lovell contributed to his determination that the crime was “particularly heinous” and allowed him to hand down a sentence higher than the maximum 10 years. .
“It is relevant that this crime occurred while you were on probation,” he said.
The judge revealed that shortly after the crime, police found the teenagers in a bedroom of a nearby house, hiding under a blanket.
“At one point, while you were detained outside that residence, you started laughing,” he said.
‘There had been no conversation with anyone immediately before the laughter.
“This crime was heinous and would create outrage in the community.”
Crown prosecutor David Nardone previously said the teenager had stabbed Lovell with such force that the blade of the knife broke.
Security footage previously shown to the judge showed the teen trying the front door and finding it open before entering in front of his accomplice.
The teenager then got into a physical altercation with Ms Lovell and her husband Lee while holding a knife and made two attempts to stab the couple.
The couple’s two teenage daughters, Kassie and Scarlett, were also sleeping when the accomplices broke in.
The teenager stabbed Lovell in the heart and her husband in the back, before kicking him several times in the head.
Emma Lovell (pictured with her husband Lee) was stabbed to death on Boxing Day 2022
Police officers appear at the crime scene on December 27, 2022, the day after Emma’s alleged death.
Judge Sullivan said Lovell’s daughters were standing over their mother’s body sobbing when emergency services arrived.
Open heart surgery was performed in the front yard in an attempt to save his life.
The judge said the victim’s statements had revealed a “devastating” impact.
‘The Lovells were ordinary citizens who enjoyed family life in their home, where they had a right to feel safe. ‘What happened violated that completely,’ Judge Sullivan said.
The teenager must comply with at least 70 percent of the detention order with a credit of 500 days of preventive detention.
His alleged accomplice has not yet pleaded guilty.
Speaking outside court on Monday, flanked by his daughters, Lovell said the sentence handed down was not enough.
“I don’t feel like justice was done in the slightest. (We) were thinking he would get a life sentence,” she said.
‘I guess it was good to get 14 years. But it will never be enough, it will never bring her back.
“I would like to think that in the future this could help other people and set a new precedent.”
Emma Lovell (pictured) was fatally stabbed at her home north of Brisbane in 2022
