A 17-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, has been found guilty of complicity in the murder of Ethan Hoac, a 14-year-old who was fatally attacked on June 26, 2023, in Melbourne's northwest. During a pre-sentence hearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the teenager's defense argued his actions were "reckless" rather than malicious.
Ethan was walking with two friends when a Volkswagen Tiguan, driven by the 17-year-old, deliberately struck him. Moments before the attack, the occupants of the vehicle were seen entering a juice center where one used his phone to pay for ice cream. The stolen vehicle swerved onto the wrong side of the road, hitting Ethan and throwing him into the air. Two individuals then exited the car and fatally stabbed and kicked the injured teen as he attempted to crawl away. The assault lasted approximately 20 seconds before the offenders fled the scene as sirens approached.
An autopsy revealed Ethan suffered 30 stab wounds and four other injuries to his chest, back, arms, hand, and scalp. Seven wounds impacted vital organs, including his pulmonary artery, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and liver, leading to lung collapse and severe internal bleeding.
Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting the driver's actions were pivotal in the fatal outcome. However, the defense barrister, John Desmond, contended that his client merely "glanced" Ethan with the car and suggested the court could not be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the driving was deliberate. He described his client's actions as "very reckless."
Justice Amanda Fox, presiding over the sentencing, disagreed with the defense's assessment, stating that her review of the footage indicated deliberate driving. "It is my view that that was deliberate driving, deliberately driving at that group of pedestrians," she remarked.
One of the three teenagers involved in the attack pleaded guilty to murder in May, and another was sentenced last year to a maximum of 17 years in prison. The court heard that those who pleaded guilty admitted to the offense on the basis of joint criminal enterprise, meaning they had an agreement or understanding to attack Ethan with the intent to cause death. The decision to kill was reportedly made moments before the attack, and none of the perpetrators knew Ethan.
Ethan's mother, Annie Huynh, shared a victim impact statement detailing her profound grief. "I lost Ethan, and I lost the purpose of life. I feel so empty," she told the court. She spoke of being haunted by not knowing her son's final moments and expressed a desire for the perpetrators to understand the gravity of their actions and learn from their mistake to prevent other families from experiencing similar loss. Despite her pain, she found comfort in her son's character and his final act of protecting his friends, stating, "Before he died, he told his friends, just run, leave him. He didn't ask them to stay. He kept them safe."
The pre-sentence hearing is scheduled to continue at a later date.