Evil killer, 15, stabbed a teenager to death in broad daylight at a busy shopping centre to prove his love – after plunging a knife into his victim’s heart in front of his girlfriend
A jury in Melbourne found a teenage boy guilty of murder after he fatally stabbed 16-year-old Oscar Hamilton at a busy shopping centre in September 2024, in an attack prosecutors said was driven by jealousy and a desire to prove his devotion to a girl. The killer, who was 15 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, had offered to plead guilty to manslaughter, but Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions rejected the deal and pursued the murder charge, which the jury upheld in under an hour.
CCTV showed the attacker approach Oscar and his friends in the outdoor seating area of Woodgrove Shopping Centre in Melton, grab him by the collar and stab him repeatedly in the chest, with the fatal blow piercing his heart; Oscar died at the scene despite efforts by bystanders and paramedics. The court heard the attack followed a 14-year-old girl telling the killer she only wanted to be friends and alleging Oscar had sexually assaulted her, which prosecutors said was the motive, though the truth of the allegation was not for the jury to decide. Recorded prison phone calls played to the court showed the killer expressing anger that the girl had not engaged with his family after the murder, saying he had "done it for her". The case was investigated by Detective Stephen Eppingstall, previously known for his role in the Erin Patterson mushroom murders investigation.
- 15-year-old found guilty of murdering Oscar Hamilton, 16, at a Melbourne shopping centre
- Jury heard the attack was driven by jealousy over a girl, took under an hour to decide
- Prosecutors rejected a manslaughter plea and pursued the murder charge successfully
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Melbourne teenager Oscar Hamilton, 16, was fatally stabbed at Woodgrove Shopping Centre in Melton in September 2024. A boy who was 15 at the time, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, has now been found guilty of his murder by a jury. He had offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, but Victoria's prosecuting authority rejected that and pursued a full murder trial.
The case centres on a teenage girl who was known to both boys. Prosecutors argued the attack was motivated by jealousy connected to her, after she told the accused she only wanted to be friends and made an allegation against Oscar that was not something the jury was asked to assess. The attack happened in a busy public area and was captured on CCTV, with Oscar dying at the scene.
The trial has drawn wider attention partly because of the ages of those involved and the public setting of the killing, and partly because the investigating officer, Detective Stephen Eppingstall, previously worked on the high-profile Erin Patterson mushroom poisoning case.