Sekkouah admits that he stabbed Hay in the head, legs and body with a kitchen knife that punctured her heart and other vital organs.

Her young daughter, who lives with autism and has developmental delays, was still in the house.

Sekkouah then set the house on fire.

He took Hay’s daughter and ran from the house to a neighbour where he said the house was on fire and that he did not know where Hay was.

Police found the victim’s body charred and covered in soot inside the house and asked Sekkouah why he did not go back inside for her.

He told them he was only a lodger and did not know she was in the property.

Police then became suspicious when they noticed Sekkouah had no smoke damage or evidence of being in a burning house and that Hay had in fact died from stab wounds.

During an interview Sekkouah repeatedly denied being in a romantic relationship with Hay and told them she was always yelling, that she was crazy, but that he did not yell back.

Sekkouah pleaded not guilty, and the matter was set down for trial, but before it began he changed his plea but did not accept the state’s facts of the matter, instead claiming he acted in self-defence.

Sekkouah’s lawyer Paul Bevilacqua told the court that the argument between he and Hay was “one-sided” and “contained aggression of sorts”.

“He armed himself because he was being attacked,” he said.

“There were elements of provocation.”

On Thursday, a trial of issues will be held ahead of Sekkouah’s sentencing that will hear from witnesses that will attest to his version of events, including one of Hay’s former partners.

Sekkouah himself will also give evidence.

Outside court Hay’s best friend Amanda, who did not want her surname published, said she was devastated that she was being painted as a perpetrator.

“To hear how she died, I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling at that time and for him to turn around and blame her for everything … he wasn’t the nicest person,” she said.

“She was beautiful. She was into her spiritual stuff. She was into her music. Her kids meant everything to her. She just wanted someone to love her for her and, sadly, Luke took advantage of that.”

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