A teenage boy accused of killing south-east Queensland woman Emma Lovell during a home invasion on boxing day in 2022 has admitted to her murder. Her husband who was also stabbed during the attack was in court to see the now 18-year-old plead guilty.
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00:00 It's been 15 months since Lee Lovell lost his wife and almost lost his life.
00:08 Today he watched on as the teenager who killed the mother of his two children before stabbing
00:13 him took responsibility for what he'd done.
00:17 The now 18-year-old admitted in court he and another boy broke into the couple's North
00:21 Lakes home on Boxing Day in 2022 armed with a knife.
00:26 After waking the pair and in the midst of a confrontation while fleeing outside the
00:30 house he stabbed Emma Lovell in the chest and her husband in the back.
00:35 The 41-year-old mother could not be saved.
00:38 The teenager pleaded guilty to a number of charges including the murder of Mrs Lovell
00:44 but because he was 17 at the time he will be dealt with as a child under the state's
00:49 youth justice laws meaning we can't identify him and he won't be subject to mandatory sentencing
00:55 like an adult would in a similar offence.
00:58 Under the legislation youth offenders can generally only be sentenced to no more than
01:03 10 years in custody.
01:05 However this can be increased to up to life in jail if a judge determines the crime was
01:10 particularly heinous.
01:12 But that punishment is very rarely given to children in Queensland.
01:17 The teenager will return to court to learn his sentence in May.
01:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]