A man who stabbed a Melbourne woman and left her bleeding to death, to be found by her 11-year-old twins, has told a court he hates himself for committing the murder.
Scott Alan Murdoch murdered 42-year-old Kylie Blackwood in her Pakenham home in August 2013, stabbing her repeatedly in the chest and throat.
Ms Blackwood's young daughters found her unresponsive on the couch, covered in blood, after walking home from school.
Earlier that year in May, Murdoch had broken into elderly widow Ilona Prohaska's home in Endeavour Hills. He cut her throat and broke her spine.
After his arrest, Murdoch confessed to both the murder and the serious assault on what would have been the first day of the trial in August 2019.
In his sentencing submission hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday, Murdoch sat silently while his lawyer read a letter on his behalf.
"I know I've destroyed her [Ms Blackwood's] husband and kids' life. I'm sorry," the letter read.
"If I could take it back, I would.
"I hate myself for what has gone on."
Prosecution lawyer Nick Papas QC is arguing that Murdoch be sentenced to life in prison without parole — a penalty he admits is "extreme".
But Jim Shaw for Murdoch is arguing that his client's guilty plea should reduce the sentence because it spared Ms Blackwood's children from having to give evidence.
Mr Shaw said Murdoch's admission at the opening of the trial "provided some closure and vindication for victims".
"In serious cases the utilitarian benefit is very, very great … a plea will always facilitate the course of justice," he said.
Mr Shaw stated that the trial could have lasted up to eight weeks and 100 witnesses could have been called.
He also cited the cases of Jill Meagher's murderer Adrian Bayley and Brendan Keilar's killer Christopher Hudson, who were both sentenced to life with fixed parole periods.
Murdoch, 42, has two children of his own.
The court was told he came from a "relatively stable" upbringing and his father was a martial arts teacher.
Mr Shaw told Justice Jane Dixon that his client had been a drug user "on and off" but was not under the influence when he killed Ms Blackwood.
The hearing continues.
