- Teen pleads not guilty to Emma Lovell murder
- It comes after another teenager was sentenced in May.
A teenager accused of murdering a mother-of-two during a home invasion saw his partner’s knife “inches from her face” before the murder, a judge has heard.
The young man, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offenses on Monday in the Brisbane Supreme Court, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Emma Lovell at her North Lakes home shortly after midnight on December 27, 2022.
The young man also pleaded not guilty to armed home invasion, as well as malicious acts and assault causing bodily harm to Ms Lovell’s husband Lee, who was kicked and then stabbed in the back.
The young man was recently granted a request for an exclusive trial before a judge due to youth crime being a central issue ahead of Saturday’s Queensland election and previous media reports making claims about his criminal record.
Crown prosecutor David Nardone told Judge Michael Copley today, on the first day of the trial, that the young man had not directly carried out the violence against Emma and Lee Lovell.
“The defendant’s primary liability is for the common purpose, at the time of his execution, of robbing armed with a knife,” Nardone stated.
“It is likely that the co-offender’s acts endangered human life.”
Nardone said the young man was guilty of the acts committed by the other 17-year-old as probable consequences of their shared actions in breaking into a house armed with a knife.
Emma Lovell (pictured with her husband Lee) was stabbed to death in the North Lakes home shortly after midnight on December 27, 2022.
Lee Lovell (pictured arriving at court on Monday) was also injured in the deadly home invasion.
The other teenager charged in Lovell’s death pleaded guilty in March to her murder and was sentenced in May to 14 years in prison.
Nardone said the defendant attended a youth accommodation about 120 meters from the Lovells’ home on December 26, 2022 before his partner probably took a knife from that location and the pair walked down the street at 11.30pm.
Judge Copley was told the security camera view from the Lovell home would be crucial to the case and would see the co-offender try the front door and find it open before the defendant entered.
‘The co-offender waves his hand in front of the defendant’s face. “There are only a few centimeters between the knife and his face,” Nardone said.
The prosecutor said the dogs woke the Lovells up and found the two young men in their home, leading to a confrontation that escalated to the front door.
Ms Lovell was fatally stabbed once in the heart in the front garden.
Her husband was stabbed and then kicked while on the ground.
The second teenager accused of stabbing mother-of-two Emma Lovell (pictured) to death pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Emma and Lee Lovell were awakened by their dogs and found the two young men in their home.
Nardone said the defendant’s black hat was found in the Lovells’ front yard and police dogs tracked it to the youth residence where he and the co-offender were located and arrested.
Defense lawyer Laura Reece said the prosecution would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the teen knew the other teen had a knife before the home invasion.
The trial will last another four days.