A 17-year-old boy, whose identity is protected by law, has been sentenced to at least ten years in prison for the “cold-blooded” murder of his mother. In April 2023, he attacked the 41-year-old woman with a cricket bat and stabbed her multiple times. His motive was to steal her car and execute a misguided plan dubbed “Operation Continuity,” which aimed to establish an anti-Communist movement in Australia based on perceived Christian values.
Justice James Elliott of the Victorian Supreme Court described the murder as “brutal and cold-blooded” while announcing an intended sentence of 15 years, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years. He expressed shock at the circumstances of the crime, noting the victim’s defenceless state and her desperate cries for help. The teen’s younger brother witnessed the attack and, upon entering the room, was told to leave by the accused. Fleeing to a nearby police station, the younger brother reported the incident, prompting an urgent police response. Officers found the mother alive but gravely injured, with 98 wounds on her body, and she identified her elder son as the attacker.
After fleeing in the stolen car and crashing it, the boy packed a bag with survival gear before abandoning the vehicle and heading to a train station, where he was later apprehended. In his statements to the police, he cited “complicated reasons” for his actions. Due to a rare delusional disorder, he understood the legality of his actions but believed them to be justified at the time, a circumstance that the judge recognised.
Despite the gravity of his crime, Justice Elliott observed that the teen, who also has autism, no longer suffers from the psychotic disorder, which raises hopes for his rehabilitation. The judge acknowledged the teen’s remorse for killing his “generous and caring” mother, who had made numerous sacrifices for him. The emotional fallout from the murder affected the boy’s younger brother, grandparents, and extended family, which was taken into account during sentencing discussions.
While the judge initially proposed a sentence, he deferred the official decision until the next week, pending the Adult Parole Board’s assessment of whether the teen should remain in youth detention. Justice Elliott expressed the view that it would be beneficial for the teen to stay out of adult prison for as long as possible, considering his age and developmental condition.
As the hearing concluded, the accused displayed little emotion, while some attendees, including the victim’s supporters, were visibly distressed.