New details emerge as trial for second teen accused of stabbing mum-of-two Emma Lovell to death in violent home invasion begins

A teenager accused of killing a mother-of-two during a home invasion saw his companion’s knife “inches from his face” before the killing, a judge has been told.

The youth, who was 17 years old at the time of the alleged offenses on Monday, pleaded not guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court to the murder of Emma Lovell at her North Lakes home shortly after midnight on December 27, 2022.

The youngster also pleaded not guilty to armed burglary, as well as malicious wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mrs Lovell’s husband, Lee, who was kicked and then stabbed in the back.

The youth was recently granted an application for a judge-alone trial as youth crime was a central issue in the run-up to Saturday’s Queensland election and previous media reports made claims about his criminal record.

Crown prosecutor David Nardone told Judge Michael Copley today on the first day of the trial that the youth did not directly commit the violence against Emma and Lee Lovell.

“The defendant’s primary liability is the common purpose, by the time the execution was carried out, to steal while armed with a knife,” Nardone said.

“The accomplice’s actions were likely to endanger human life.”

Nardone said the juvenile committed the actions of the other 17-year-old as a likely result of their joint actions in breaking into a home while armed with a knife.

Lee Lovell (pictured which arrived in court on Monday) was also injured in the fatal home invasion

The other teenager accused of Ms Lovell’s death pleaded guilty to her murder in March and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in May.

Nardone said the defendant visited a youth facility about 400 feet from the Lovells’ home on Dec. 26, 2022, before his companion likely grabbed a knife from that location and the pair walked down the street at 11:30 p.m.

Judge Copley was told that the security camera view from the Lovells’ home would be crucial to the case and that he would see the co-offender test the front door and find it unlocked before the suspect entered.

‘The co-perpetrator moves his hand in front of the suspect’s face. It’s a matter of inches between the knife and his face,” Nardone said.

The prosecutor said the Lovells were awakened by their dogs and found the two juveniles in their home, leading to a confrontation that expanded to the front door.

Mrs. Lovell was once fatally stabbed through the heart on the front lawn.

Her husband was stabbed and then kicked as he lay on the ground.

The second teenager accused of stabbing mother-of-two Emma Lovell (pictured) to death entered a not guilty plea on Monday

Emma and Lee Lovell were woken by their dogs and found the two youngsters in their home

Nardone said the defendant’s black hat was found on the Lovells’ front lawn and he was tracked by police dogs to the youth residence where he and the co-offender were located and arrested.

Defense attorney Laura Reece said the prosecution would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the youth knew the other teen had a knife before the burglary.

The process will take another four days.