Teen brutally murdered mum as part of ‘divine mandate’ to stop communism and take over Australia, court hears

Obsessed with restoring “Christian values” to the country, a Melbourne teenager killed his mother as the first step in a plan to build an anti-communist army, a court has been told.

A boy and his friend alleged plotted to kill their parents and flee to the Grampians as part of a divine mandate to stop communism and take over Australia. File photo.

A teenager had a shared delusional disorder with a school friend when he brutally murdered his mother as part of a “divine mandate” to stop communism and take over Australia, a court has heard.

For months, the boy, then 15, and his friend, then 14, allegedly plotted “Operation Continuity” which involved killing their parents and fleeing to the Grampians where an “anti-communist” army would be raised to restore Christian values across the country.

On the evening of April 5, 2023, the boy executed the plan, attacking his mother, 41, with a cricket bat and stabbing her dozens of times with a hunting or military-style knife while she was in the bedroom of her Melbourne home.

His younger brother heard his mother’s screams and ran to a nearby police station to raise the alarm, before his sibling was arrested the following afternoon while walking along a road in Miners Rest, near Ballarat, in camouflage clothing.

Details about the shocking killing were aired for the first time at a pre-sentence hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday after the boy, now 17, pleaded guilty to his mother’s murder.

The victim and her son cannot be identified because of his age.

The woman was discovered injured in the bedroom of her Melbourne home. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Forensic psychiatrist David Thomas assessed the autistic boy, telling the court the teen first reported experiencing delusions on a school trip in NSW in 2022, after he heard a voice from God telling him to stop being suicidal and depressed.

The boy shared that experience with his friend who claimed to hear similar things, triggering a shared delusional disorder which led to the alleged murder, Dr Thomas said.

He said the delusions fed off each other and contributed to an “us against them” mentality, noting the symptoms dissipated without treatment after the pair were separated following their arrests.

The boy’s autism, which was characterised by intense focus and obsessiveness, added “fuel to the fire” and the disorder clouded his moral judgement, Dr Thomas said.

“I think he knew (the murder) was wrong in the sense it was illegal, but it was right because that is what was expected of him by God,” he said.

“All actions were ultimately justified because it was a divine mandate.”

The court heard the boys became obsessed with their plan, known as “Operation Continuity” which involved raising an anti-communist army in the Grampians and taking over Australia.

In the months leading up to the killing, they allegedly discussed their “homicidal rage” and plans to carry out the operation, including blowing up a bridge and stealing police cars.

Two machetes were also purchased but they were found by the boy’s mother who returned them.

On April 5, the final day of school term, the plan was put into action, with the boy attacking his mother in her bedroom around 10.30pm.

The boy’s mother was still alive when emergency services arrived, telling them her son had stabbed her. Picture: Valeriu Campan

His younger brother rushed downstairs after hearing their mother scream “stop, stop” and “you’re killing me”.

She told him to flee and he ran to a police station to raise the alarm.

The woman was still alive when police and paramedics arrived, telling them her son had stabbed her.

She was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

Her older son fled in her car, crashing it into a drain pipe as he exited the garage before he drove to Elwood to collect a bag hidden in a bush.

The damaged vehicle was dumped in St Kilda, with police later finding military style clothing and a helmet inside.

The boy walked to Southern Cross Station where he boarded a train to Wendouree early the following morning.

He was arrested while walking along a road in Miners Rest that afternoon, after a police officer recognised him from an internal bulletin.

On Wednesday, loved ones of the slain woman wiped away tears as they read out victim impact statements detailing their grief over her senseless murder.

“She was a lovely mum who did and would’ve done anything for her boys,” the woman’s sister said.

“Everyday feelings of anger and frustration envelop my entire body as I question how something like this could happen.”

Seated in the dock, the boy kept his head down for much of the hearing, occasionally glancing around the courtroom.

In her submissions, defence barrister Amy Brennan said her client carried out the killing so he could steal his mother’s car without her thwarting his plans.

The court heard the boy had been targeted by other inmates because of his offending.

The pre-sentence hearing will continue Thursday.