Teen’s murder mission

‘I had to kill’ grandpa

A SCHOOLBOY who skipped the start of first period and went on a vengeful murder mission to kill his grandfather will spend at least 11 years locked up.

The 16-year-old Year 11 student was dropped at school by his father before walking 2km to his estranged grandparents’ home in Melbourne’s east.

Wielding a knife, he covered his face with a black hoodie and launched a frenzied stabbing attack on his grandfather when he answered the door.

It was the first time the teen had seen his 73-year-old maternal grandfather in more than eight years after a family fallout.

The grandfather, weak after suffering a stroke a month earlier, called for help and tried to run to a neighbour’s home.

But his grandson chased him and stabbed him 24 times just after 9am on August 21 last year. He then walked back to school, dumped the hoodie in a toilet, and returned to class like nothing had happened.

Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan on Thursday sentenced the teen killer to 16 years’ jail, but set a non-parole period of 11 years.

“This was a brutal murder born out of anger,” Justice Coghlan said.

The court heard the teen concocted the chilling plan to kill his grandfather after his sister told him in May last year their grandfather had been “creepy” towards her when she was young.

She said he never touched her, but would stand naked in front of her and would sometimes give her beer.

It tipped the boy over the edge, as he already held a grudge towards his mother’s side of the family.

When police released CCTV footage in their attempt to find the man’s killer, it was the teen’s estranged mother who recognised similarities to her son.

The boy was arrested four months later and told police: “I went to the house and did what I had to do.” He pleaded guilty to one count of murder.

The names of the family cannot be published due to legal reasons.