Designer Stuart Rattle ‘strangled with dog leash’, confesses former lover

Seventeen years together ended when Michael O'Neill hit his partner, interior designer Stuart Rattle, over the head with a saucepan.

He then used a dog leash to strangle him.

Five days later he set fire to their South Yarra flat, leaving a candle on the carpet to make it look like a fatal fire was the cause of death.

He finally confessed to police how the murder took place.

"I pulled (the leash) into a tight knot and he said to me ‘Michael don't do this’. That's all he said."

The defence said the police record of the interview only told one part of the story and there would be evidence at the plea hearing about the nature of the relationship and the way the victim treated the accused.

Rattle's family was in court to hear the guilty plea to murder and arson yesterday.

But O'Neill offered no motive to police, saying there'd been no discord.

The case returns to court on September 17.