A drunk and "sexually charged" man who brutally murdered a woman before torching a house with her body inside has been sentenced to at least 20 years in jail.
Andrew Mervyn Sumpton, 50, and Michelle Roberts were "extremely intoxicated" when he bashed her face in with a statue, fatally stabbed her multiple times and started a fire around her body in South Grafton on the NSW north coast in May 2012.
"This was a spontaneous but brutal killing of a vulnerable woman in her own home," Justice Peter Hamill told the Supreme Court on Tuesday as he sentenced Sumpton to a maximum of 29 years' jail.
Sumpton and Ms Roberts had recently met and were engaged in "preliminary sexual activity" when the killer "lost control", Justice Hamill said.
"What is known is the offender then inflicted a brutal and sexually charged attack on Ms Roberts," he said.
Mother-of-seven Ms Roberts was also "vulnerable", weighing just 54 kilograms with a slight limp.
An autopsy revealed she suffered 24 stab wounds as well as a broken nose and dislodged teeth.
Sumpton fled after the killing but returned to the property and set sheets on fire, around Ms Roberts' body.
He then raised the alarm and waited as authorities arrived, even pretending to help firefighters battle the blaze.
"He was... the killer hiding in full view," Justice Hamill said.
A jury in October last year found Sumpton guilty of murder and intentionally setting fire to property.
"I am satisfied he has no genuine remorse or contrition," Justice Hamill said.
Sumpton, who has a history of violent offending, will be eligible for parole in November 2032.
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