Ross Simon Fraser, described as drunk, violent, inarticulate, a loner and a wild southern man, faces at least 15⅓ years in prison for bashing his partner to death in their Canterbury home in February.
Justice Christine French accepted it was a brutal and callous murder that qualified for the 17-year non-parole term as part of his life sentence, but she gave him an 18-month reduction for the guilty plea he entered in Rangiora District Court on May 20.
But the violence he inflicted on Jo-anne Thompson in the 40-minute bashing drew a shocked reaction when it was described in the High Court at Christchurch. The skull fractures were so bad they were more commonly found in vehicle crashes or falls from height.
He left her lying almost naked in their bathroom - which the crown said resembled a charnel house from the blood splatter - while their two sons aged four and six were in the house.
The boys may not have been asleep throughout the incident late at night on February 15, but the crown says they were thankfully not the ones who found their mother's body.
Fraser, a 43-year-old shearer, took to the hills and was captured nine days later when he returned to the home at Waiau in north Canterbury.
His pre-sentence report showed him in a poor light, as a man who had no remorse, empathy or insight into what he had done.
But defence counsel John Brandts-Giesen said the probation officer had not understood him. He had committed a murder and was facing many bleak years behind bars.
"He is a wild southern man who is used to the wide open spaces. It is extremely difficult for him to be where he is."
Mr Brandts-Giesen voiced Fraser's apology for his crime to the court, society, his children and Miss Thompson's friends and family.
The couple had been together seven years and had frequently parted and reconciled. They had been together on the afternoon of the killing, in "consensual intimacy" but Fraser found the rules had changed after they had both been drinking heavily and he was again ordered out.
She had a protection order against him, but waived any enforcement of it. She used it when their relationship was in a bad way, Mr Brandts-Giesen said.
Fraser denied any sexual aspect to the assault. He said Miss Thompson was lightly clad on a summer night and her clothes came off during the beating. They had sex earlier in the day and sex was the last thing he wanted that night.
He also denied the attack was premeditated. It was typical of the "drunken explosiveness" of that household - this time with disastrous consequences.
Crown prosecutor Phil Shamy said the savagery of the assault showed Fraser's determination to take the woman's life. He told police it had been "brewing for some time".
"Quite clearly, 17 years at least is called for," he said.
Miss Thompson's 17-year-old daughter, Hadee Thompson, read her victim impact statement to the court. She said she had moved out of the house earlier, because she could not stand to be there any longer.
"There was never any peace," she said.
Her mother drank so she could deal with Fraser's behaviour. He was always violent and abusive, yelling at all of them. He did not physically abuse her, but he had abused her mother and the boys.
She said she was now traumatised, sometimes could not breathe and had chest pain, could not sleep properly and had to block horrible memories and emotions.
Justice French noted that Fraser had told a work colleague he was going to kill his partner "and then go to the Coast and kill her family".
While he was drinking on the night of the killing, he was heard to say, "The Devil's unleashing".
A neighbour reported hearing the struggle, which sounded like furniture being moved, and went on for about 40 minutes.
The only words that were heard were Fraser asking: "Do you love me now?"
Miss Thompson was heard replying, "No, no."
