‘He stabbed her, he didn’t hesitate’: Killer didn’t care which car he took, court told

A young girl who saw a Queensland woman fatally stabbed during a carjacking and rushed to get help has recalled the devastating impact on her life and how she struggles to sleep.

Vyleen White, 70, died after she was stabbed in the car park of a Redbank Plains shopping centre, west of Brisbane, in February last year.

Her attacker, who was 16 years old at the time, stabbed her and did not hesitate, the prosecution told the sentencing hearing in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Wednesday.

White’s death sent shockwaves through the community, and sparked outrage over juvenile offenders.

Her loved ones packed the courtroom, watching as the accused came into the room and sat just metres from them. For most of the proceeding, the teenager, who cannot be named under Queensland law, looked ahead, or stared at the floor.

He pleaded guilty to murder and charges of stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle earlier this year.

It was believed at the time the motive was to steal White’s Hyundai Getz. But Crown prosecutor Chris Cook told the court the teenager did not care which car he took.

The teenager had changed his clothes and was wearing a surgical mask, which indicated he was trying to conceal his crime, Cook said.

The court was told the teenager entered the car park intent on stealing a car.

Cook said there were aggravating features of the crime, including that the accused committed the offences while on bail for a string of robberies, and that it happened in a public space in front of a young girl.

He read the girl’s victim impact statement, which described how she rushed “upstairs to get a doctor”.

“When I saw the man I felt very scared,” Cook read on behalf of the girl. “After that, sometimes I feel unsafe when I go to that place. I don’t always tell mum or dad when I feel scared, I keep it to myself.

“Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, I worry that I will have bad dreams.

“It’s a bit hard not to think about scary things before bed and I feel stressed or scared and I have to hug something like mum or dad ... I didn’t get hurt during that time but I feel scared sometimes.”

White’s loved ones cried upon hearing the multiple victim impact statements read to the court.

Cook also read the statement of White’s husband, Victor White, who spoke of his shock and disbelief upon hearing of his wife’s death. He said he now felt angry at constant reminders in the news about violent crimes.

“I feel angry. She’s not here, and that’s it. That’s the blunt reality of my life now,” Cook read on behalf of Mr White.

Mr White said he wanted the court to know who his wife was. He said the pair, who had been married for nearly 50 years, were chalk and cheese. He described his late wife as forgiving, open and warm. “The impact of Vyleen’s loss has been constant even if it is not always visible,” he said.

Many family members spoke of being haunted by her death, with significant mental health impacts. One daughter, Julie Ryan, told the court that losing her mother had devastated her in every way.

“I still can’t process what happened or the way she died. It feels like a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” she said.

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

When referring to the prosecution’s submission that the teenager had concealed his identity and armed himself with a knife, Hynes said that was geared towards the theft of a car, not murder.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill was expected to hand down her sentence on Thursday morning.

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