A rapper who fatally stabbed a beloved local footy player says he is sorry for ruining so many lives but feared his time was up.
Jacob Tammer-Spence, 33, stabbed Sitaleki "Leki" Filihiahekava outside a fast-food restaurant in 2024, and told the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday he would take full responsibility for his actions.
Tammer-Spence was to face a murder trial in July before prosecutors accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter.
He testified that he felt threatened by Mr Filihiahekava but was remorseful for what transpired.
"I feel horrible, I don't wish death on anyone," Tammer-Spence said.
"I sometimes feel like it would have been easier if I died that night."
In a joint victim impact statement read out by his sister during Thursday's sentence hearing, Mr Filihiahekava was remembered by his family as a happy man who was adored by young and old.
"No grandparent should have to bury a grandchild ... (they're) left carrying unimaginable grief," the family statement read.
"This senseless killing has impacted every part of our lives … there are days where simply getting out of bed feels overwhelming."
A dozen members of the 32-year-old's family were in court as his killer gave evidence of how he felt the night of the stabbing.
Justice Richard Cavanagh looked kindly on Tammer-Spence's decision to give evidence of his remorse directly.
"The offender got in the witness box, looked the family in the eye and said he was sorry - that's more than what happens in most cases," Justice Cavanagh said.
Tammer-Spence was walking home from an Oporto restaurant in Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west, when he heard someone calling out from behind him, he said.
The 33-year-old releases drill rap music under the name Snoee Badman and testified he thought Mr Filihiahekava was calling out because he was a fan.
"Nothing bad, it wasn't aggressive or anything like that," Tammer-Spence said when asked what he was thinking when he heard the yelling.
But when the two came closer, Mr Filihiahekava accused Tammer-Spence of being involved in a barbershop shooting a year earlier and threatened him, the 33-year-old said.
"Don't play dumb, I'll f***ing pop you right now," Tammer-Spence alleged Mr Filihiahekava said to him.
"I thought I was gonna be shot, I thought I was gonna be killed," Tammer-Spence said.
The 33-year-old said he pulled a knife, jumped out of the way of a possible gunshot and stabbed Mr Filihiahekava in the chest before running away.
The victim died at the scene. Tammer-Spence was arrested two days later.
According to his profile on music database Genius, Tammer-Spence was the first Australian to release a single from inside a maximum-security prison with No Hook Pt. 3.
Snoee Badman has nearly 11,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Tammer-Spence will be sentenced at a later date.
