‘I’m going to die mum’: Inside the harrowing tragedy of Luke Lembryk’s murder

EXCLUSIVE

As life faded from Luke Lembryk in a pool of his blood in his mother’s arms, he uttered, “I’m going to die mum, I’m going to die.”

His death was a senseless tragedy, a result of a robbery gone wrong inside his Condell Park home after a group of drug addicts hatched a plan to rob him of money and drugs.

Instead, they left empty-handed after one of the two men who entered the townhouse stabbed the much-loved 29-year-old through the heart.

In the violent home invasion, which only lasted 60 to 90 seconds, his mother Robyn Bradley was also assaulted.

Ms Bradley at that point had been suffering cancer for 10 years and when she died, she had spent the final three months of her life mourning her son’s loss.

“Everything’s changed for everybody, everybody’s life has changed. We can never get that back,” Luke’s father John said outside the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, speaking about the ripple effect his son’s death had wrought on his family.

Moments earlier, Lisa Price, Viliami Taufahema and Bilal Rahim were jailed by Supreme Court Justice Sarah McNaughton for their roles in the botched robbery.

Mr Lembryk died after being stabbed five times in the early hours of December 7, 2019.

The catalyst for the tragedy came months earlier when he matched with Price on Tinder and met up with her and another woman at his home.

During the meet-up in August 2019, Price claimed she saw a wad of cash estimated to be between $10,000 and $20,000 as well as a golf ball-sized bag of cocaine.

Months later in December 2019, she was desperate for money and passed on the information to other people.

Joseph Nehme, who had a knife strapped to his back, and Taufahema entered the house intending to steal drugs and money.

Price told others that she wanted to “do (Mr Lembryk) over” and helped guide the two men to the unit, although she was not physically present.

It ended in tragedy when Mr Lembryk attempted to defend himself.

The court was told that as he lay dying in his mother’s arms, he said: “I’m going to die mum, I’m going to die.”

“It would have been terrifying,” Justice McNaughton said during her sentencing remarks on Friday.

The court was told it was unknown which of Nehme or Taufahema had stabbed Mr Lembryk.

They raced from the scene, along with Rahim, who was acting as a lookout and was seen on CCTV driving away.

Following a trial last year, Taufahema was found guilty of murder and assault with intent to rob in company.

Price and Rahim were found not guilty of murder.

However, they were found guilty of the lesser charges of manslaughter and assault with intent to rob in company and aggravated break and enter.

On Thursday, Taufahema was sentenced to 23 years in jail and must serve a minimum of 16 years and six months. He will be eligible for release in 2036.

Prince was sentenced to eight years prison but will be eligible for release after serving four months and six months.

Rahim received a sentence of eight years and six months, with a five-year and two-month non-parole period.

Outside court on Friday, Mr Lembryk’s father told NewsWire: “There’s no resolution for us.

“It’s not going to bring Luke back.”

He said of his son: “He was larger than life, he was the centre of our family. The fun and games revolved around him.

“He had a lot of friends – you don’t have a funeral where 1000 people turn up if you’re not liked.

“It’s just made a big hole in the family.”

Following a trial in April this year, Nehme was found guilty of murder and assault with intent to rob in company.

He will face court on Monday before being sentenced at a later date.