Family of Emma Lovell who died in violent home invasion in North Lakes share why they are staying in the house where she died

The family of Emma Lovell, a Queensland woman who was tragically killed in a Boxing Day home invasion, has revealed why they are staying in the house where she died.

Lee Lovell, 44, and his two teenage daughters, Scarlett and Kassie, say they’ve stayed in their humble single-storey home on North Lakes in northern Brisbane because it’s where they feel closest to Emma.

Ms Lovell, 41, was reportedly fatally stabbed on December 26 last year when a group of youths from a nearby halfway home allegedly broke into her home. Two 17-year-olds have been charged with murder over the death of Mrs Lovell.

Lee Lovell said that while his family is devastated by what happened, their home is filled with years of memories they hold dear that they refuse to leave behind because of one horrible night.

“I just want to focus on this house as a happy place for us and our family,” Mr. Lovell said The courier mail this week.

Mr and Mrs Lovell were alerted via a security app to the presence of two intruders in their home

Mr Lovell revealed that he has added extra security since that night, including a new security door at the front of the property, motion sensors and security cameras which, even eight months later, he will be vigilantly monitoring throughout the night.

He explained that the whole family moved into the same bedroom after the terrifying incident involving Scarlett, 15, on a mattress on the floor and Kassie, 14, where her mother used to sleep.

The two teenagers have only had the last few weeks moved back into their own rooms and while Mr Lovell said he was proud of them for being strong, it also further sank his wife’s absence.

“I haven’t gotten used to it, I think it’s been pretty lonely. Just go to bed alone and wake up alone,” he said.

The children had offered to stay, which Mr. Lovell suspects was to his advantage rather than theirs, but he admitted they should go when they were ready, even if he didn’t.

Two 17-year-olds from a nearby shelter have been charged in Ms Lovell’s death

The couple had been particularly close, marrying young and spending more than two decades together, including moving to the other side of the world from the UK to Australia in 2011.

Mr Lovell said it was extremely “heartbreaking” to lose such an intimate relationship in which both he and Emma had been so happy.

Her children feel the same way.

Speaking publicly for the first time since losing her mother, Scarlett said her sparkling presence would “brighten up” any room she was in and said she had a hard time remembering times when her mother was once sad.

She especially misses their regular night drives to get Kassie together.

“I think that’s when we really opened up to each other, but also had a lot of fun singing songs and stuff,” Scarlett said.

With such fond memories in the house, it’s easy to understand why the family wouldn’t want to move.

“Emma was the glue in our family, she was funny, smart, so caring, would do anything for anyone,” Mr Lovell said of his wife

He added that the mother of two “died trying to protect me and our family” and that he “missed her so much”

Mr Lovell said the family is adjusting to the loss every day, although some days are more difficult. His birthday and Mother’s Day, just a week apart, were particularly difficult.

Scarlett and Kassie have grown closer to their father and confide in him about boys or teenagers that they would previously only tell their mother.

“Emma was the glue in our family, she was funny, smart, so caring, would do anything for anyone,” Lovell previously told Daily Mail Australia.

“She died trying to protect me and our family.”

Just hours before the incident, Mr Lovell posted on Facebook to wish his family and friends a Merry Christmas, and shared a picture of the family together on the beach on the Sunshine Coast.

“So for the first time in 11 years we spent Christmas Day on the beach and even managed to cook bacon and eggs!” Mr Lovell wrote online.

“I hope everyone had a great Christmas with loved ones and friends.”

Heartbroken father Lee Lovell (right) has paid an emotional tribute to his wife, Emma (left), who died trying to defend their North Lakes home from intruders Monday night (both are pictured with their two daughters)

Neighbor Julie Balhatchet told Daily Mail Australia that her daughters were on the second floor of their house when they saw the commotion across the road.

They quickly told their father who ran across the street to help.

“When my husband pulled over, it was dark, he had no idea she was hurt,” said Ms Balhatchet.

“She (Mrs. Lovell) lay bleeding face down on the floor.”

Ms Balhatchet said that after the scuffle in the street, her daughters saw the two alleged perpetrators running out of the house.

While her husband and Mr. Lovell worked to save his wife, another neighbor led the two daughters away from the traumatic site.

Mrs Balhatchet was devastated when she later learned that Mrs Lovell had died in hospital.

“It’s just so sad,” she said.

“Those poor girls and her husband. He was very upset.’

Ms Balhatchet said the random alleged attack had shaken the normally quiet neighbourhood.

“I’ve lived here for 19 years and nothing like this has ever happened.

‘You think, why her? It could have been any of us on the street.”

Shattered neighbors left tributes to their “beautiful friend” outside the North Lakes home

Pictured is a map showing where the halfway house is located just a few doors down from the Lovell family home

Mr Lovell said this week he would like to see more support for the families of victims in situations like this and that in the days following his wife’s death he felt almost let down by the system.

He said it was particularly frustrating that juvenile offenders have access to a large number of social workers and support programs that are paid for by the taxpayer.

But to the paramedics who were on site and working on his wife, Mr. Lovell has the utmost respect.

He had visited them in the days that followed, to thank them but also with a nagging worry that more could have been done to save his wife.

Dr. Steven Rashford, medical director of the Queensland Ambulance Service, explained to him that paramedics had done everything they could, including performing open heart surgery on their front yards, something few paramedics train for.

Mrs. Lovell had shown an extraordinary will to live, she survived the operation but later succumbed to her injuries.

In March this year, the Queensland government passed new juvenile delinquency laws in an effort to tackle the state’s crime surge.

The new laws make violating bail a felony for juveniles, allow violators as young as 15 to be tracked with ankle monitors and provide an additional $9 million in funding to help crime victims.