Sky Daly-Holt was cradling her six-week-old daughter when she received the news no loved one wants to hear.
Her sister Autumn Baker had been violently murdered by a man she had considered a friend.
"What should have been a joyous time in my life … turned into a horror show," Sky said.
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Baker had been visiting Mark Ludbrook at his home in Melbourne's south-west in August 2023 when he attacked her with a knife.
She had tried to stop him from self-harming when he turned the weapon on her, stabbing her multiple times to the chest, arms and eyes.
Ludbrook claimed his mind was altered by PCE, an illicit drug he had taken earlier that morning to manage pain from his neurological condition.
But a Victorian Supreme Court jury found the 54-year-old was conscious of his actions and therefore guilty of murder.
Sky was among Baker's friends and family who confronted Ludbrook as he faced a pre-sentence hearing on Tuesday.
She described the violence and sorrow he had brought into her life, saying Ludbrook had destroyed her family.
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"You have stolen my first and forever friend, my childhood witness, a person who knew me better than anyone else," Sky said.
"Every day I tell Autumn I love her and I miss her. No one will love me like Autumn did."
Ludbrook had also robbed Baker's two young children of a loving, caring and empathetic mother, Sky said.
"I despise you," she told Ludbrook, who watched on a video link from prison.
"I wish Autumn had never met you. I wish she had let you kill yourself that day. Your life is worthless."
Baker's mother, Annie Daly-Holt, said she was afraid to live each day without her daughter and it was only her grandchildren who kept her going.
"My life has been about ensuring my daughter is not forgotten," she said.
"She was exuding light everywhere she went and left beauty in her wake. There was nothing she couldn't do."
Baker's father, Lance Daly-Holt, said there was no adequate sentence for Ludbrook.
"I miss my daughter every day," he said.
"This man's actions have taken everything from my family."
On the morning of the murder, Ludbrook's carer saw him walking around naked despite him normally only managing three steps at a time.
He also thanked different colours and told his carer how he needed to sleep with her to save the animals.
Crown prosecutor Jim Shaw said the verdict made it clear Ludbrook was acting consciously and deliberately at the time of the murder, regardless of the drugs he had taken.
Lubdrook's moral culpability was therefore high and he still had not taken any responsibility for his actions, Shaw argued.
Ludbrook's barrister will make submissions when the case returns to court on Friday.
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).
