Toby Loughnane, 45, looked up and nodded as he was sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court today to a minimum of 20 years behind bars for Maryam Hamka’s murder.

Hamka’s brother Hassan said the family were happy with the outcome and felt like justice had been done after four years of waiting.

“But the justice will never bring Maryam back,” he told reporters outside court.

Loughnane claimed the 37-year-old died of a drug overdose in the early hours of April 11, 2021, and his only crime was not calling an ambulance.

But a jury rejected that theory, instead accepting the prosecution’s case that Loughnane fatally assaulted Hamka with murderous intent.

Neighbours heard a woman screaming and sobbing from Loughnane’s Brighton apartment for hours before the noises stopped about 3am on April 11.

Loughnane then sent two messages to Hamka’s friend from her phone at 4.37am.

The killer left Hamka’s naked body in a bathtub for days before moving it into his friend’s car and scrubbing his apartment clean with bleach.

Loughnane then drove to Cape Schanck in Melbourne’s south-east and dumped Hamka’s body in a shallow grave.

When police knocked on his door, Loughnane claimed he had not seen his girlfriend and even said it was disgraceful Hamka’s family were not helping officers more.

He was arrested and charged with her murder in August 2021.

Loughnane finally told police where Hamka’s remains were two years later after his friend implicated him in the murder.

But Loughnane continued to maintain his innocence, claiming his only crime was not calling an ambulance when Hamka overdosed on drugs.

Justice Christopher Beale rejected that story today as he sentenced Loughnane to 28 years behind bars.

He will be eligible for parole after 20 years but has already served nearly four years of pre-sentence detention.

Justice Beale said the murder happened in the context of protracted family violence, which was an aggravating feature.

“The fatal violence you inflicted on her was not an isolated incident,” he said on Friday.

Family and friends reported seeing Hamka with bruises during the couple’s 15-month relationship, and the 37-year-old disclosed his threats to kill her.

Justice Beale noted the “torrent of highly abusive” text messages and voicemails Loughnane sent Hamka, where he threatened to shoot her, drown her, set her on fire or slice her face off.

“You told her you would make her scream in agony,” the judge noted.

“The text messages made for appalling reading.”

Loughnane also filmed Hamka while she was drug-affected in the hours before her death and made degrading comments to her, Justice Beale said.

He noted Loughnane had an extensive history family violence against Hamka and other partners, as well as prior convictions for drug offences.

He found Loughnane’s prospects for rehabilitation were guarded and there was no evidence of remorse.

“I am not satisfied that you are truly remorseful as opposed to feeling sorry for yourself and those around you,” Justice Beale said.

But Loughnane should receive some discount on sentence because he revealed the location of Hamka’s body to police, the justice said.

Loughnane will be aged in his 60s before he is eligible for parole.