A man who stabbed his grandmother up to 50 times with two knives has been jailed for at least 12 years for murder.
Ethan Harwood, 21, attacked 67-year-old Pauline Farrugia at her South Penrith home in 2017, when he was a 19-year-old.
Harwood submitted a guilty plea to Ms Farrugia’s murder in the NSW Supreme Court, where he claimed his grandmother had been emotionally abusive.
The court also heard Harwood was heavily intoxicated and emotional when he committed the crime.
Justice Michael Walton accepted that the attack wasn’t planned, and took into account Harwood’s dysfunctional upbringing as well as other factors.
Harwood initially fled to Victoria after killing Ms Farrugia, but was arrested five days later.
Justice Walton jailed Harwood for 16-and-a-half years on Friday, but will be eligible for parole in December 2029.
