Emma Lovell neighbour’s house targeted by youths in break-in

The house next door to where Emma Lovell was murdered in a home invasion less than two years ago has been targeted by masked offenders. SEE THE FOOTAGE

The house next door to where Emma Lovell was murdered in a home invasion less than two years ago has been targeted by masked offenders, with her widowed husband in disbelief it could happen again so close.

Emma Lovell, 41, was fatally stabbed in her front yard at North Lakes, north of Brisbane, on Boxing Day 2022.

Her killer, now 19, pleaded guilty to murder earlier this year and was jailed for 14 years.

Now the house next door has been broken into by a group of masked intruders, who were captured on security footage about 8.30pm last Thursday.

It was not known if anything was stolen.

Resident Sarah Brown told Nine News: “Very unnerving, very angry as well that they think they can just come around and do things like that.”

The masked males captured on CCTV

After learning of the break and enter, Emma Lovell’s husband Lee Lovell told The Courier-Mail he was in shock that an incident like that had happened again so close to home.

“I didn’t think it would happen again,” Mr Lovell said.

“I’m guessing they were just opportunists and just trying to scout out areas, find somewhere they could rob, I suppose.

“It’s not very good what’s happened, but you can only try and protect yourself so much.”

Mr Lovell added that the incident made him reflect on the night his and his daughters’ lives were changed forever.

“This stuff goes through your mind and you think like, what would you do in that sort of situation again? Would you fight back like you did last time, or would you just crumble?” he said.

“Even now, when I come back of an evening after being out, I pull into my garage, I still sometimes look around and check my mirrors and make sure it’s reasonably safe to get out.

The scene of Emma Lovell’s murder in 2022

“It’s always in the back of your mind, but that’s how life is at the moment.”

Mr Lovell said he felt for his neighbour, that she had to live through that experience.

“It’s not nice having that happen to them,” he said.

“I just don’t want to keep seeing people go through that, but it seems to keep happening day after day after day.”

Mr Lovell said tougher legislation needed to be brought in to deter young criminals from offending.

“They can commit a crime and then be locked up, but be let out the next day to just go and do it again. How is there ever any deterrent for that?” he said.

“I understand it’s a complex issue and probably a one-size-fits-all doesn’t always work, but I don’t also believe that what we’re doing at the moment is working either.”

Lee and Emma Lovell