Emma Lovell: Best friend of mum fatally stabbed defending home will 'never' get over the loss
ITV Anglia's Katie Ridley reports
The friend of a British mother-of-two who was stabbed to death in Australia has said she will never get over her death.
Emma Lovell, 41, and her husband Lee Lovell, 43, had lived in Queensland for 11 years, but were originally from Ipswich in Suffolk - where best friend Christina Lofthouse still lives.
The news that her school friend had been killed has devastated her.
"It's like something has been ripped out with me. And I don't know how I'll ever, ever put it back," Christina told ITV.
"I don't know how I ever fix any of it. Because people might say well, you don't live in the same country in the same time. No, we didn't - that didn't matter to us.
"It did not matter one little bit because she and I made sure our friendship worked across all those miles."
On Boxing Day night, Emma was allegedly killed outside her home near Brisbane.
She and Lee had gone to investigate after someone tried to break into the family's home when they were both attacked.
Two 17-year-old boys have been charged with murder and attempted murder.
Superintendent John Hallam, from Moreton Police, told reporters Mr and Mrs Lovell were “disturbed inside the dwelling and were defending their house” at 11.30pm on Monday when they confronted the teenagers.
Police said in a statement that the altercation moved out to the front yard, where Mrs Lovell was allegedly fatally stabbed in the chest.
Christina had visited her friend in Australia earlier this year.
They'd grown up together and attended the same high school in Ipswich. Even after Emma moved to Queensland with her husband, the two remained close.
"We didn't need to be in each other's pockets," Christina said.
"We didn't need to be all together all the time. We could be 10,000 miles apart, and it still be the most beautiful friendship ever."
Emma's husband Lee was injured in the attack and received treatment for non-life threatening stab wounds.
Speaking to reporters in Australia, he said: "We're all just devastated from her loss. It's senseless. What would people do it for?"
In Ipswich, Christina is now facing the sad prospect of flying back to Australia to be with Emma's children.
She said: "I had my first handwritten Christmas card from them this year. Because normally we'd send something over the internet. In it, she said 'hurry back'.
"Now I'll hurry back for her funeral".
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