Melbourne teen murderers sentenced for fatal machete attack

Two individuals have been sentenced for the June 2023 murder of 14-year-old Ethan Hoac in Melbourne's northwest. The attack began when a stolen car was intentionally driven into Hoac while he was walking with friends. As the teenager attempted to crawl along the roadway, two masked individuals used machetes to inflict approximately 30 stab wounds.

One of the machete-wielding attackers, who pleaded guilty, received a 17-year prison sentence with a minimum term of 12 years and six months. The individual who drove the vehicle into the victim was found guilty of murder by a jury and sentenced to a maximum of 18 years, with a minimum of 14 years, as he did not receive a guilty-plea discount.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Amanda Fox described the unprovoked violence as “ferocious” and noted the “extreme brutality” of the crime, emphasizing that the victim was an unarmed, outnumbered child.