‘Hard to accept’: Emma Lovell’s widower braces daughters for worst

The husband of Emma Lovell says he has had to brace their two daughters for the possibility one of her alleged killers may not be convicted of murder.

Emma Lovell’s widower Lee Lovell outside court on Thursday. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

The husband of Emma Lovell says he has had to brace their two daughters for the possibility one of her alleged killers may not be convicted of murder.

Lee Lovell has endured three days of a murder trial against a teen, accused of joining a friend as they snuck inside the family’s home north of Brisbane on Boxing Day 2022, before a fight started with the husband and wife, ultimately leading to Emma’s fatal stabbing.

Mr Lovell, who took a week off work to attend the trial, said he had to prepare his girls for “a kick in the teeth” if the accused was found not guilty.

“I told the kids so they’re not smashed with it if … that happens,” he said.

He said he had been phoning his daughter Scarlett who couldn’t attend the trial, telling her what happened each day.

“I told her last night, how it was sort of looking and what I thought the sentence might be either way,” he said.

“And she wasn’t particularly happy with the lesser of what I thought it might be.

“I suppose they just think that, their mum has been murdered in this horrific way, and it just seems that justice isn’t really being served, and then for someone to get off who is involved in that crime is getting off with a downgraded charge with burglary or whatever, is just a bit of a kick to the teeth for them.

Lee Lovell with daughters Kassie and Scarlett outside court earlier this year

“I think they would both be pretty devastated if he gets a really poor sentence this time around.

“Both of them just want the best possible outcome of a maximum sentence. Even with the first guy, they wanted as much as they could get.

“And I just think they would find that hard to accept.”

Mr Lovell said his other daughter Kassie had joined him in court for day one of proceedings Monday.

“I think it’s probably been good for Kassie to sort of come with us and sort of experience that,” he said.

“So she’s not being, like, shielded and sort of wondering what’s happened, and at least she can sort of see what it’s like.”

The 18-year-old currently on trial, who was 17 at the time of Emma’s death, has pleaded not guilty in a judge-only trial to four charges: murder, break and enter while armed and in company, unlawful wounding and unlawful assault.

Mr Lovell said he was hoping to see the teen sentenced to the same fate as his alleged co-offender: 14 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years with 292 days pre-sentence custody taken into account.

“I’m not really sort of holding my breath for that really, I suppose I just left court today not feeling too confident about the outcome,” Mr Lovell said.

“And I suppose it just comes down to the judge’s decision and what he can take from the (CCTV) footage he’s seen and what he’s been told.”

Emma and Lee Lovell with their daughters

Mr Lovell also said he held no malice towards the family of the youth currently on trial for Emma’s murder.

The offender’s family has supported the teen in court every day since the beginning of the trial.

‘I don’t really hold any malice towards his family, I’m not really like an angry person,” he said.

“I’m not going to stand there and abuse his family.

“You just got to accept that they are there to support him. And just got to get on with it.”

Mr Lovell said he struggled to look at the offender throughout the week, while he was giving evidence.

“I tried to steer away from him and sort of focus on what I was doing,” he said.

The only time he saw him was when he turned as they broke for lunch.

“It was really bizarre to see him, really, but I just try not to focus on him too much, really, that, you know,” he said.

In December, it will be two years since the murder of his wife, a time Mr Lovell dreads.

“Last year I went away because I just want to get away. But this year, my brother and his family are coming over,” he said.

“I have to face that. And maybe we’ll come out for the day and try to get away and try and make it a happy day.”

Originally published as ‘Hard to accept’: Emma Lovell’s widower braces daughters for worst