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Tara Costigan was murdered in a horrific axe attack.
A CANBERRA man who killed his ex-partner with an axe while she was carrying her eight-day-old daughter has been sentenced to at least 26 years in jail.
Marcus Rappel pleaded guilty to murdering mother-of-three Tara Costigan in February 2015 in front of her sons, aged nine and 11 at the time.
Rappel had to be restrained during his sentencing and removed from the ACT Supreme Court room after yelling at Justice John Burns.
Rappel was sentenced to 30 years for the murder and two years for the serious assault of Ms Costigan’s sister as she tried to intervene in the attack. He will have to serve at least 26 years won’t be eligible for parole until 2041.
Justice Burns told Rappel the “vicious and cowardly” murder was in the worst category, reported the ABC.
“Those who witnessed your violence will have to live with their memories for the rest of their lives. Your actions deprived three children of their mother, including your own infant daughter.”
They would feel the impact of his actions for decades, Justice Burns said.
Marcus Rappel has been jailed for at least 26 years.Source:Facebook
Tara Costigan was carrying her eight-month-old baby when she was attacked.Source:Supplied
The hearing was disrupted when Rappel had to be removed after he started yelling.
“I am the only one that hasn’t lied!” Rappel said, before being taken away.
He was then forced to listen to Justice Burns deliver the sentence from another room in the building.
Ms Costigan applied for a domestic violence order against Rappel the day before she was killed. She had become increasingly fearful of him.
The court heard that was the trigger for Rappel’s fatal assault.
“To punish her for applying for a domestic violence order and obtaining an interim order against you,” Justice Burns said.
After he got the order, Rappel went to a hardware store and purchased an axe.
Ms Costigan’s two older children were also home and witnessed the brutal assault.
Her uncle, Michael Costigan, said the verdict didn’t bring closure.
“Many have suggested that today will bring closure. It hasn’t — today’s verdict does not bring me peace. Tara remains dead,” he told media outside court.
“Today just clarifies what Marcus Rappel has to look forward to for the rest of his life.”