On Boxing Day, two “teenage” robbers stormed into the British couple’s home in Australia, and the woman and her husband attempted to fight them off when they were both fatally stabbed.
Emma Lovell, 41, an Ipswich native, and her husband Lee, 32, were both stabbed to death in their North Lakes, Queensland, home.
The couple was trying to stop the invaders when a fight broke out on the front porch, according to the police. Mrs. Lovell was stabbed in the chest and her husband was stabbed in the back.
Neighbours heard their daughters screaming, with one yelling ‘someone help my mum, help my mum’.
Two 17-year-old men are each facing one count of murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of breaking into a house with the purpose to commit a crime in a group.
Mr. Lovell, who along with his wife migrated to Australia 11 years ago, is now out of the hospital. He gave her a heartfelt tribute today.
‘Emma was the glue in our family, she was funny, smart, so caring, would do anything for anyone,’ Mr Lovell told Daily Mail Australia.
‘She died trying to protect me and our family. We’re all devastated by what has happened. I miss her so much.’
The distraught husband claimed that a home security software had informed him and his wife of the presence of the two intruders.
Our two dogs started barking, and Emma checked the Swann security app to see if the front door was open.
“Emma followed me as we both sprinted out of our bedroom door and discovered two people inside our home.
Until my kid noticed that her mother was bleeding, I was completely unaware that there was a problem.
‘I’m utterly heartbroken that my best friend is gone and I don’t get to speak to her again, hug her again, laugh with her and cry with her.
‘Her poor daughters, husband, mum, brother and sister. As a family we are heartbroken to lose the best friend a girl could have. We had a friendship like no other.’
Christina Lofthouse, 41, a British woman who spent 33 years as Mrs. Lovell’s closest friend, paid homage to her today, calling her “the best friend a girl could have.”
She claimed: “She was the last person I spoke to at night and the first person I messaged in the morning.”
Bail has been denied for the suspects, who will now appear in Brisbane Children’s Court on Wednesday.
Detectives are still questioning two additional men, ages 16 and 18, who were also detained.
Only a few hours prior to the incident, Mr. Lovell published a photo of his family enjoying time together on a beach in a Facebook post wishing his friends and family a Merry Christmas.
‘So for the first time in 11 years we spent Christmas day on the beach and even managed to cook up some bacon and eggs!’ Mr Lovell wrote online.
‘Hope everyone has a great Christmas day spent with loved ones and friends.’
Julie Balhatchet, a neighbour, told Daily Mail Australia that when her daughters observed the chaos across the street, they were on the second story of their home.
They instantly informed their father, who quickly crossed the street to assist.
Mrs. Balhatchet claimed that because it was dark when her husband rushed over, he was unaware that she was hurt.
