Emma Lovell: Teenager found not guilty of murder of British mother in Australia
A teenager who broke into the home of a British mother in Australia – where another teen stabbed her to death – has been cleared of murder.
Emma Lovell, 41, was killed in North Lakes, Queensland, on Boxing Day in 2022 while fending off two intruders.
In May this year, the teenage attacker who pleaded guilty to her murder, was jailed for 14 years.
The second teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not stab anyone but was also charged.
Following a three-day judge-only trial at Brisbane’s Supreme Court, Justice Copley found the second teen not guilty of murder and the lesser offence of manslaughter of Ms Lovell and not guilty of malicious acts with intent in relation to her husband Lee, who survived the attack.
He was found guilty of burglary and assault.
Ms Lovell, a mother-of-two who had emigrated to Australia from Ipswich in 2011, died of a single stab wound to the heart.
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The case against the second teen centred on whether he was aware his co-defendant was carrying a knife at the time of the break in.
CCTV footage reportedly shown to Justice Copley saw the pair approaching the Lovell family home. The second teenager is believed to have turned around to look at his co-defendant who was holding the weapon, according to Australian broadcaster ABC News.
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But the judge ruled that the evidence does not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the second teenager knew about or had seen the knife when they entered the property.
Mr Lovell said outside court that he was disappointed with the outcome of the trial, and according to ABC, he told reporters: “We’re the ones left with a life sentence now, and everyone carries on what they’re doing.”
The second teen will be sentenced in December.
A man’s body has been recovered from an area of flooding in North Yorkshire, police have said, as major incidents have been declared in two counties.
The body was found near Intake Lane in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.
Police believe the man may have entered the water in the last 24 to 48 hours.
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North Yorkshire Police said: “Despite extensive enquiries, including with our colleagues in Humberside and West Yorkshire Police, we have been unable to identify him.
“He was found without any identification or personal belongings.”
The man was also described as white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.
He was wearing brown walking boots, blue denim jeans, a multicoloured knitted jumper and possibly a dark green waterproof coat, police added.
It comes after Leicestershire and Lincolnshire both declared a major incident in response to the extreme weather hitting the UK and Ireland.
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Leicestershire Fire and Rescue was the first emergency service in England to declare an incident and said it had received more than 200 calls since Monday morning over widespread flooding.
Crews had found cars stuck in floodwater and evacuated residents from flooded homes and rising waters, with some 17 people rescued as of 1.45pm.
The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum declared a major incident shortly after, and noted that emergency services had rescued children who were stranded at a school in Edenham.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has three yellow weather warnings – each for snow and ice – in effect throughout Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Pic: Met Office
A warning covering the west and north coast of Scotland – reaching into Inverness and Aberdeen – will last until midday, while an alert in effect for all of Northern Ireland will last until 11am.
The Met Office has also issued a warning covering Wales and parts of northwest England on Monday evening, moving into southwest England, the Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a yellow weather warning for snow is in effect across the south of England – stretching from just above Truro in Cornwall to Canterbury in Kent – from 9am to midnight.
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