A TEENAGER who stabbed a British mother to death in a horror attack on Boxing Day has been jailed for 14 years.
Mother-of-two Emma Lovell, 41, died after being stabbed in her Brisbane home as she bravely fought off two teenagers who broke in.
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One of the 17-year-old attackers pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court earlier this year.
He also pleaded guilty to robbery, assault causing bodily harm and malicious act with intent.
The attacker, now 19, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by Supreme Court Justice Tom Sullivan, who described the mother’s murder as “particularly heinous”. crime.
He called the Lovells “a loving family” and added: “They were ordinary citizens, enjoying family life in their home, where they had a right to feel safe.
“What happened… completely violated that.”
The second alleged intruder has not yet entered a plea and his case is listed for a hearing in Brisbane later this month.
O court heard how the brave mother-of-two, originally from Ipswich, and her husband Lee confronted the two thieves after being woken by family dogs.
The couple tried to defend their home while their two daughters slept inside.
After a “fight” on the front porch, Emma was stabbed in the chest and later died from her injuries.
Shocked neighbors He heard one of his daughters shouting “someone help my mother, help my mother”.
Lee was released from hospital following a non-life-threatening stab wound.
Emma and Lee moved to Australia from Suffolk with their two daughters more than 12 years ago.
The family passed Christmas Day that year on the Sunshine Coast beach and shared a smiling family photo online.
They wrote on Facebook: “I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Day spent with their loved ones and friends.”
Around 11:30 p.m. Boxing At night, intruders disturbed Lee and Emma at home.
Officers said the family was “woken awake by barking dogs” before “defending your home.”
At the time, police arrested four teenagers near the family’s home, just four hours after the robbery.
Two 17-year-olds were then charged with murder and attempted murder.
And two more boys, aged 17 and 16, helped the police in the investigation.
Detectives confirmed all four teenagers were “known for police“.
Explaining how the Horror unfolded, Lee said, “We heard our two dogs barking, Emma checked our security app and saw that the front door was open.
“We both ran out of our bedroom door, Emma behind me, and saw two people our home.
“I didn’t even know there was a problem until my daughter noticed her mother was bleeding.”
The devastated father paid a sweet tribute to his wife after her death, saying she “died trying to protect me and our family”.
He told reporters: “Emma was the glue of my family, she was such a beautiful person.
“We are all devastated by her loss, it makes no sense.”
Boxing Day horror timeline
EMMA Lovell was stabbed on Boxing Day 2022 and later died from her injuries. Her husband, Lee, survived a non-lethal injury and her two daughters witnessed the horrific events.
The family spent Christmas Day that year on the beach on the Sunshine Coast.
They shared a smiling photo of their day on Facebook and wrote: “I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day spent with their loved ones and friends.”
At around 11:30 pm the following night, intruders disturbed the family at home.
Officers said the parents were “woken awake by dogs barking.”
Lee said Emma checked the security app and saw the front door was open.
The couple then ran out of the bedroom and saw two people in the house, sparking a fight on the front porch, where Emma was stabbed.
She later died in the hospital and Lee survived.
Four hours later, officers arrested four teenagers nearby and later charged two of them with murder and attempted murder.
Today, one of the 17-year-olds appeared in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to plead guilty to murder.
The father said at the time that he initially thought his wife would survive her injuries after the attack.
But he remembered the “huge shock” hours later when he discovered she had died.
He then had to deliver the moving News to her daughters after one of them asked, “Where’s Mommy?”
‘Someone help my mother, help my mother’
Neighbor Jay Balhatchet, who witnessed paramedics helping Emma on the front lawn, said the neighborhood woke up to screams.
He said: “Just screaming, from the two girls. ‘Someone help my mother, help my mother’.”
“That’s when everyone stood up and everyone saw what happened on the front lawn.”
Later, he saw the couple’s children “carrying their dogs and other things for the ambulance their father was in.”
The family’s neighbor added: “They ran away with him. I think they were in shock. They were crying.”
Christina Lofthouse, 41, Emma’s best friend for 33 years, also paid tribute, describing her as “the best friend a girl could have”.
She said: “She was the first person I texted in the morning and the last person I spoke to at night.
“I’m heartbroken because my best friend is gone and I can no longer talk to her, hug her again, laugh with her and cry with her.
“Your poor daughters, husband, mother, brother and sister. As a family, we are heartbroken to lose the best friend a girl could have. We had a friendship like no other.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
