‘This happened right in front of a little girl’: Teen who killed Vyleen White to be sentenced

3 months ago 19

A teenager who fatally stabbed an elderly Queensland woman in front of a young girl will learn his fate on Thursday, with the Chief Justice to determine whether the brutal attack is deserving of harsher punishment.

Vyleen White, 70, was killed by the 16-year-old, who stabbed her and did not hesitate in the car park of a Redbank Plains shopping centre in February last year, the Supreme Court has heard.

Vyleen White was fatally stabbed in February 2024.

White’s family, including her husband, Victor, and her daughters, told the court on Wednesday morning how her death had haunted them, and they had struggled with the devastation of losing her.

Her death sent shockwaves through the community, and sparked outrage over juvenile offenders, as the LNP pushed for harsher penalties for young criminals.

At the start of the teenager’s sentencing on Wednesday, the court heard how a young girl saw White being stabbed and rushed to get help.

“When I saw the man I felt very scared,” Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook read on behalf of the girl. “After that, sometimes I feel unsafe when I go to that place ... Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, I worry that I will have bad dreams.”

Cook said the then-16-year-old had been with a group of youths earlier in the day, who had been drinking near the shopping centre. He left alone, carrying a knife and wearing a surgical mask covering his face, the court was told.

The teenager entered the shopping centre’s car park intent on stealing a car, Cook said.

“He stabbed her, and he didn’t hesitate.”

Cook submitted if the crime was determined to be particularly heinous, a sentence of 17 to 18 years could be imposed. The teenager’s barrister, Matthew Hynes, told the court a sentence of 12 to 13 years was appropriate.

Flowers and tributes left at the Redbank Plains shopping centre where Vyleen White died.

In delivering her sentence, Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said the teenager’s plea of guilty had saved White’s family going through a trial.

But she said the teenager’s actions of taking the life of another had caused immense and catastrophic pain.

She said the teenager was almost running when he confronted White brandishing the knife while she was near the escalator of the shopping centre.

He demanded her car keys and White took a few steps back with her hands raised, before the teenager attacked her.

“This happened right in front of a little girl ... you knew you had seriously harmed Ms White,” Bowskill said.

But, Bowskill said the teenager did not stop to check on his victim, and instead moved to steal her car.

She said the young girl was scared, but remarkably brave. She ran up the escalators to look for help.

White was unable to be saved, after she suffered a wound of 17 centimetres. Upon hearing this, several members of White’s family cried in court.

“Your actions were callous and cowardly. They are made even worse by the fact that you attacked a defenceless woman,” Bowskill said, adding that White should have been able to feel safe.

Bowskill said the teenager committed the crime while he was on bail for other crimes, which was an aggravating factor.

The court heard the teenager was affiliated with a criminal gang in the Ipswich area, and had carried a knife as a misguided form of protection. Bowskill said he had previously reported that offending gave him a thrill.

He told a psychologist that he was intoxicated on the day he killed White, which Bowskill said was no excuse. He reported after her death that he had no memory of stabbing White, and he essentially blacked out, Bowskill said.