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Judge to Deliver Sentence Thursday for Teen Who Killed Vyleen White

The case reshaped Queensland youth-justice policy, with the tougher new laws not applying to this offender.

Overview

  • Chief Justice Helen Bowskill reserved her decision after a two-day sentencing hearing, with the ruling scheduled for Thursday in Brisbane’s Supreme Court.
  • The now 17-year-old, who cannot be named under youth justice laws, pleaded guilty to murdering 70-year-old Vyleen White in a Redbank Plains shopping-centre car park in February 2024.
  • CCTV shown in court captured the lead-up and aftermath of the stabbing, which occurred in front of White’s young granddaughter, who ran for help.
  • Crown prosecutor Chris Cook called the killing an act of indiscriminate violence, saying the teenager arrived armed and masked with intent to steal a car after earlier thefts and drinking while on bail for robberies.
  • Victim impact statements from White’s husband, daughters and granddaughter described deep and ongoing trauma, as prosecutors sought a lengthy term and the defence argued for a shorter sentence of about 12 to 13 years.