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A teenage killer who helped butcher a schoolboy after he was mown down by a car has begged the boy's mother for forgiveness.
asserted
he → see → forgiveness
Ethan Hoac, 14, was walking along Furlong Road in St Albans, in Melbourne's west, with two friends at 10.52pm on June 26, 2023 when the group drove at him in a Volkswagen Tiguan and struck him.
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group → walk → him
Moments earlier the three offenders were seen entering a juice centre on Clarke Street, Sunshine, where one was caught on CCTV using his phone to pay for ice cream.
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one → see → cream
The killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in May to a charge of murder, with another sentenced last year to a maximum of 17 years in jail.
uncertain
another → name → jail
A third offender is still to be sentenced after being found guilty of murder following a trial.
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offender → sentence → trial
On Tuesday, the youth, now aged 20, sat in the Supreme Court of Victoria dock as his letter of apology was read before Ethan's mother, Annie Huynh.
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letter → sit → mother
The court heard she raised no objection to it being read aloud in open court.
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it → hear → court
'I've been thinking for a long time about what I could possibly say to you and your family,' the killer wrote.
uncertain
killer → think → you
Ethan Hoac's mother said she would pray for her son's killer
Ethan Hoac did not even know the thugs who murdered him
'
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who → say → him
I know there are no words that can take away the pain you have experienced, and I know there are no words that can undo what has happened.
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what → know → pain
'But I still wanted to write this letter because I need you to know that I am deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that my actions have caused to you and your family.'
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actions → want → you
The court heard the killer was more than just an observer in the fatal attack on Ethan, who was a complete stranger to the killers.
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who → hear → killers
The attack lasted about 20 seconds until sirens in the distance caused the group to flee the scene, leaving Ethan on the road.
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group → last → road
An autopsy later found Ethan had suffered 30 stab wounds and four other wounds across his chest, back, arms, hand and scalp.
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Ethan → find → chest
Seven wounds struck vital organs, including the pulmonary artery, both lungs, the spleen, both kidneys and the liver, causing lung collapse and severe internal blood loss.
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wounds → strike → collapse
Justice Amanda Fox described how the instant the car stopped, both young men exploded into action.
'Given where Ethan fell after being flung through the air and landing on the roadway, (the co‑offender) being in the passenger seat was closer, but they both sprint out of that car towards the victim,' she said.
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she → describe → victim
The young killers were caught on CCTV before they ran down Ethan
Police attend the scene where Ethan was murdered in St Albans in June 2023
The judge rejected any attempt to downplay the youth's part in the killing.
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judge → catch → killing
'Your client repeatedly kicks Ethan when he's on the ground,' she told his lawyer.
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she → kick → lawyer
'There's a possible seven, I think it was, stab wounds that are fatal.
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that → be → ?
It's not known who, between them, inflicted the fatal wounds.
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who → know → wounds
'I really don't think it's much case of counting.'
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it → think → counting
The killer claimed he has struggled to even meet Ethan's mum's eyes.
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he → claim → eyes
'It has been difficult for me to look at you and face what I caused,' the letter read.
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letter → look → what
'When I see you, I cannot help but think about my own mother.
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I → see → mother
I think about how I would feel knowing that my mum was experiencing the kind of pain you had to live with.
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you → think → pain
That is something that has stayed on my mind heavily.'
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that → stay → mind
The youth claimed he could never understand the way his actions had impacted Ethan's loved ones.
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actions → claim → ones
'I take responsibility for the actions and choices I made that caused you pain,' he added.
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he → take → pain
The teen told the court that prison had forced him to confront what he did.
'
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he → tell → what
Since being in custody, I've had a lot of time by myself to think about my life and the choices I have made and the person I want to become,' he wrote.
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he → have → life
Ethan Hoac and his mother
'I want to move on.
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Hoac → want → ?
I want to make my family proud.
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family → want → ?
Instead, I've made choices that caused a lot of people pain.
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that → make → pain
Since being away, I believe I've matured a lot.
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I → believe → ?
I used to react with anger, lash out when things don't go my way.
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things → use → way
I am learning to control my emotions, think before I act, and understand the consequences of my decisions.'
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I → learn → decisions
The youth's barrister told the court his client's words were not just empty lines, but part of an emerging, hard won remorse that only truly began after the teen sat and listened to the victim impact statements in July.
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teen → tell → July
During that hearing, Ethan's mother said she would 'pray' for her son's killer.
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she → say → killer
The court heard the apology letter had been three years in the making, with prosecutors arguing it should be given limited weight.
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it → hear → weight
While Justice Fox accepted the boy had shown genuine remorse, she condemned him for the brutal slaying.
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she → accept → slaying
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
