Melbourne man's chilling act after murdering young mum because she "didn't love him".

Abuk Akek was an aspiring Melbourne law student who had left her abusive ex-partner with their two-year-old son to try and start a new life.

Four weeks later, in March 2016, she was beaten and stabbed to death by her former partner, 25-year-old Makeny Banek.

On Wednesday, Banek was sentenced to 23 years in prison for her murder, with a non-parole period of 18 years.

He told the court he “snapped” when his former partner no longer wanted to be with him.

“I loved her very much but she did not love me, “ he said.

Banek, 25, appeared at Akek’s Melton apartment about 2:30pm on March 13, 2016. She was on the phone to a friend at the time, telling them “there’s someone at the door, I’ll call you back”.

The pair soon started arguing, and Banek kicked, punched and choked his former partner, before hitting her with a stereo speaker. He then stabbed her with a knife three times in her abdomen.

Chillingly, he then placed her on her bed, covering her with a blanket and laying a plastic rose on her dead body before cleaning the apartment.

“Ms Akek’s last moments of her life must have been terrifying,” Victorian Supreme Court Justice Michael Croucher told the court .

“[Banek] made a calculated choice to take the life of the mother of his son as if somehow it was his prerogative to do so,” he said.

When police arrested Banek the same night as the murder, he admitted that he had “snapped”.

“I used a knife and my fists,” he told police.

“I decided to beat her up and kill her…In my head I thought ‘just kill her’, so I did.”

He had previously been jailed for seven months for assaulting Akek before her murder.

If this post brings up any issues for you, please call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.