Teen sentenced to 17 years for brutal machete killing of 14-year-old in Melbourne
A 17-year-old who helped stab Ethan Hoac to death with a machete received a 17-year prison term, while another teen involved was sentenced to at least 14 years.
In a June 2023 incident in Melbourne’s northwest, 14-year-old Ethan Hoac was knocked down by a stolen vehicle and then brutally stabbed by two masked teens wielding machetes, sustaining 30 wounds before dying en route to hospital. After the attack, the perpetrators inspected the car at a nearby tennis club, captured on CCTV. The court handed down two separate sentences: one teen who used a machete pleaded guilty and received 17 years imprisonment with a 13-year non-parole period, while the driver-rambler, now 21, was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years after a jury found him guilty of murder.
Justice Amanda one outlet described the act as random, cowardly, and ferocious, noting the victim’s innocence. Ethan’s mother, Annie Huynh, broke down in tears as the judge recounted the family’s anguish, which includes eight siblings.
Why it matters
The case underscores the severity of youth-perpetrated violent crime and the courts' response to random, brutal attacks.
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