A Queensland judge has cleared a teenage defendant of murder in the 2022 Boxing Day stabbing of British woman Emma Lovell, who was killed during a break-in at her Brisbane-area home.
Lovell and her husband, Lee, confronted two intruders on their front lawn after hearing their dogs bark, leading to a violent struggle where Mrs. Lovell was fatally stabbed, and Mr. Lovell was injured.
The teen defendant, who was 17 at the time, denied knowing that his co-accused was carrying a knife.
After a judge-only trial, he was found not guilty of murder, although convicted of burglary and assault. His co-defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to murder and received a 14-year sentence.
Lee Lovell voiced his disappointment with the verdict, feeling justice was not served for his wife.
The trial was conducted without a jury due to concerns over potential bias, as youth crime had become a heated topic in the recent state elections, which saw the Liberal National Party gain support with promises of tougher penalties for juvenile offenders.
Despite the not-guilty ruling on the murder charge, Justice Michael Copley has kept the teen in custody, awaiting a pre-sentence report.
