A teenager convicted of murdering 70-year-old grandmother Vyleen White has appealed against his sentence, having fatally stabbed her during a carjacking outside a shopping centre west of Brisbane in February 2024. The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced in November 2025.
The teen was serving the highest sentence handed down in Queensland for a 16-year-old who killed someone via a single stab wound. He received a 16-year jail term under the state's previous laws. The teen is likely to be released from custody in late 2033, about the time of his 26th birthday.
The killing became a flashpoint in Queensland's justice debate. The crime was the catalyst for controversial "adult crime, adult time" laws, ensuring juveniles face at least 20 years in custody for murder. However, they were not retroactive and the boy was sentenced under the state's previous laws. This technicality means he received a significantly lighter sentence than juveniles convicted of similar offences under the new framework.
Vyleen's family has been devastated by the appeal. Family members broke down outside the court hearing as they confronted the prospect of their loved one's killer seeking to reduce his time in custody. The appeal process has reopened wounds just months after the original sentencing.
CCTV footage had captured the teen deliberately stabbing Vyleen as she tried to get away, Director of Public Prosecutions Todd Fuller told the justices. "The sentence falls well short of being described as being manifestly excessive," he said. "It was accepted that this murder was particularly heinous," Mr Fuller added.
The appeal raises a broader tension in juvenile justice: balancing accountability for serious violent crime against rehabilitation considerations and the principle that youth offenders should have finite sentences. The three justices have reserved their decision.