A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to prison for the murder of his older sister, whom he described as “annoying.”
According to Mail Online, Bennett-Smith fatally stabbed his 19-year-old sister, Luka Bennett-Smith, at their home on Cromwell Road in Bristol on October 20, 2024.
At Bristol Crown Court, it was revealed that Luka had consented to Bennett-Smith practicing a headlock on her. However, instead of releasing her when she tapped him, as they had previously agreed, he continued to restrain her before stabbing her multiple times.
Bennett-Smith received a minimum sentence of 10 years and five months after pleading guilty to her murder. The fatal attack occurred while the siblings were home alone in the St Andrews area, following a period when Bennett-Smith had been watching videos upstairs.
Mali Bennett-Smith told police, “After watching a video, I went downstairs to the lounge and asked Luka if I could practice a headlock on her. She agreed, as we had done this before. When she needed me to stop, she would tap my arm. But on this occasion, I decided I wasn’t going to stop; I wanted to kill her. I had had enough of how she had been treating me over the years.”
Twenty minutes after the attack, he called emergency services, stating, “I stabbed my sister to death.” During the call, he clarified that there had been no argument prior, but confessed, “I hated her my whole life, and I don’t know, I just didn’t want to ever see her again.”
Judge William Hart addressed the court, stating, “It’s often said that when a child has died, it is every parent’s worst nightmare. The horror of losing their daughter at the hands of the son they still love is beyond even the worst nightmares.”
The court heard that Bennett-Smith grew up on a remote farm in New Zealand and was home-schooled. Following his parents’ divorce, he moved to the UK with his mother and sister, aiming to prepare for Army enlistment. However, he later dropped out of his college course.
In sentencing him to detention for an indefinite period, the judge described the murder as “shocking and brutal,” noting that it had deprived Luka of her life and left her parents facing the loss of two children. He highlighted the aggravated circumstances, including the use of a knife and Bennett-Smith’s clear intent to kill.
The judge remarked on the traumatic scene paramedics encountered upon arrival, stating it would likely haunt them forever.
Ray Tully KC, representing Bennett-Smith, mentioned his client’s severe dyslexia and dysgraphia. Despite having an above-average IQ, he had below-average processing speed.
Tully pointed out that Bennett-Smith’s “somewhat unconventional” upbringing had limited his social interactions with peers, leading him to spend considerable time gaming, which contributed to his inability to manage his rising frustrations and resentment toward Luka. Tully emphasized that Bennett-Smith felt genuine remorse for his actions.
