Teenager stabs and kills his sister

[soupyspoon]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/10/mali-bennett-smith-luka-stabbed-sister-to-death-pleads-guilty-to-her

Ive just noticed this story, I didnt hear about this or the trial

A few things jump out, the fact that its commented on that he didnt know how to cope with his feelings of frustration about his sister. Well he did clearly, he knew to cope with them using violence. I bet he made her life hell.

Home schooled, used to sitting in his room gaming and disassociating from the world. All classic behaviours of school refusers or people that are not wanting to be in the world and navigate and manage the world.

And only a 10 year tariff.

I think I'll punch the laptop screen if I ever see another reference to 'behaviour is communication'. I bet he was the type at school where his mum said 'if his needs were met, he would be ok'.

I do think there needs to be far more inspection and control of home schooling. Children deserve a good education and so often home schooling seems to fail. I know that some parents who home school are excellent but others are very poor.

He grew up on a remote farm in New Zealand where there was probably no other option but to homeschool. I think you're making a lot of assumptions that you have absolutely no basis for OP.

Home education isn't the problem

I think its likely that his behaviour had been brewing for quite a while, you dont just turn into a potential killer overnight, yet its likely no one outside the house had eyes on him

What assumptions?

I bet he was the type at school where his mum said 'if his needs were met, he would be ok'.

That assumption, for one thing.

The sister had ADHD and the article heavily insinuates he has ASD without stating it outright. No mention of the parents but almost certain that one or both parents are also ND and it must've been a very difficult situation to deal with.

"Home schooled" is often a euphemism for completely overwhelmed parents who just give up on the kids. Obviously letting him stay home and play video games is easier than battling to get him to school every day.

What an awful thing to happen.

I'm disappointed that the article shows a picture of him - but not her.

I didnt know what assumption you meant. Of course theres little information in the article but thats my view. I can imagine his behaviour being excused for years.

The nonchalance with which he says he was just fed up of her, just didnt like her.

Yes, bad journalism, I was scrolling Facebook this morning and saw a Daily Mail article full of pictures of Luka. I hate the Daily Fail but at least they acknowledged her.

Re the sentence, he will have been sentenced to life. The tariff is the minimum time he will actually serve in prison. The main reason it is so low is that he is 17. If he was 18 or older, the tariff would have been much higher. The starting point for sentencing in this case is 12 years. Given that he used a knife, if he had been an adult the starting point would probably have been 25 years.

Note also that his sentence will have been reduced as he pleaded guilty.

I agree you are making assumptions. It’s sounds like an unusual upbringing and they had only fairly recently moved to Bristol leaning the Dad behind in New Zealand which is a sign of an unhappy situation.

We don’t know if it was a happy home or what was going on. I do think that playing lots of violent video games or watching violent content has a similar impact on kids as watching violence take place in real life and it can both traumatise them and desensitise them to violence. But really here there isn’t enough information to say the parents were too keen to meet his needs to whatever it is you are saying.

He is a psychopath. If he’d have gone to a regular school he’d still be a psychopath.