Two teens who allegedly killed a British mum in a horrific Boxing Day break-in had been causing disruption across the neighbourhood for several weeks, reports say.
Police in Queensland, Australia have charged a pair of 17-year-old boys with the murder of Emma Lovell, 41, and the attempted murder of her husband Lee Lovell, 43.
The couple, originally from Ipswich, Suffolk, were reportedly attacked on Boxing Day at their home in North Lakes, 30 miles north of Brisbane.
Another two teenagers - a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy - are also assisting police with their inquiries.
Superintendent John Hallam, from Moreton Police, told reporters Mr and Mrs Lovell were "disturbed inside the dwelling" by the teens and were injured while "defending their house".
The force has since revealed that all four boys involved in the incident were known to them prior to the incident, but has not confirmed whether they were on bail at the time.
It is reported they live at a nearby halfway house for juvenile offenders, with residents of the neighbourhood claiming the occupants had caused a number of disturbances over recent weeks.
Describing what she witnessed outside the charity-owned property, a neighbour named Tracey told MailOnline: "We sometimes smell them smoking marijuana, and hear them drinking out the back,"
"One group we could hear them bragging about a car. Some looked as young as 13. None of them have had cars, so we'd always see them walking around the neighbourhood."
She also described an incident where one of the youths began banging on her son's car, while other neighbours recalled seeing a social worker chasing a youth down the street who was shouting.
Returning home from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital on Wednesday after receiving treatment for a non-life threatening stab wound, a visibly upset Mr Lovell said that his family had been "devastated".
The 43-year-old told reporters: "Emma was the glue to our family"
"She was such a beautiful person. We're all just devastated from her loss.
"It's senseless. I don't know what people do it for."
