A Victorian teenager who ambushed his mother and stabbed her dozens of times will be locked up until at least 2033, with a judge calling the crime “brutal and cold blooded”.
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The mother suffered 98 knife wounds and was bashed with a cricket bat during the horrific attack, carried out by the then-15-year-old and his friend in 2023.
The murder was part of an ill-fated plan by the pair, named “Operation Continuity”, to blow up bridges, attack police, form an anti-communist army and take over Australia while restoring Christian values, the Supreme Court heard.
The two boys, who had a strong interest in military history, were described as “delusional” by a psychiatrist last month.
“The circumstances of your offending are truly extraordinary,” Justice James Elliott said.
The teenager has been in custody since the day after the killing. On Friday, Justice Elliott said he intended to sentence the boy to 15 years’ jail, with a non-parole period of 10 years.
The proposed sentence, which would result in the boy being held in a youth justice centre for an extended period, could be formalised next Wednesday after a hearing before the state’s adult parole board.
For legal reasons, the identity of the mother and the offenders cannot be reported because the boys are under the age of 18.
Judge identifies signs of rehabilitation
The court heard the teenagers formed and discussed their grandiose plot for months before trying to put it into action in early 2023.
After eating a dinner of spaghetti and ice cream at the 17-year-old’s Melbourne home, he attacked his mother while she was in her bedroom.
Her youngest son in a nearby bedroom heard her screaming, “What are you doing? Stop, stop, you’re killing me”.
The 17-year-old and his friend left her for dead and stole her car, crashing it as they tried to drive out of the property.
The pair were arrested the following day by the side of the road in regional Victoria, carrying backpacks and rations.
The boy and his mother can not be identified for legal reasons. (ABC News: Demi Lynch)
The alarm was raised by the victim’s younger son, who witnessed the aftermath of the attack and ran to a local police station.
Police and paramedics found her dying on the floor, where she was able to identify her eldest son as the killer. The mother died shortly after being rushed to hospital.
Last month, friends and loved ones of the 41-year-old paid tribute in court, describing her as a “loving mother” who would have done anything for her kids.
“She was in the prime of her life,” Justice Elliott said on Friday.
The 17-year-old, who has autism, was suffering a rare, shared delusional disorder with his co-offender at the time of the attack, the judge said.
Justice Elliott said while in prison, the teenager had shown signs that he could be eventually rehabilitated.
“It is clear you regret what has occurred,” the judge said.
“A lot more work needs to be done to build your social skills so you can form healthy relationships.”