Man pleads guilty to killing former partner with axe

A Canberra man has pleaded guilty to murdering his former partner with an axe while she held her baby.

Tara Costigan was cradling her one-week-old baby in her arms when Marcus Rappel brutally attacked her in February last year, ABC News reports.

Police found Ms Costigan’s body on the laundry floor. She had significant head injuries and an axe was lying next to her.

As well as pleading guilty to murder, Rappel admitted to breaching a protection order and assaulting another person in the house.

Ms Costigan's two sons were inside the home and witnessed their mother being killed.

Speaking outside court, Ms Costigan’s uncle said the guilty plea came as a “huge relief” to her family and friends.

"He's at least pleaded guilty to what he did," Mr Costigan said.

Mr Costigan said the family was doing its best to care for Ms Costigan’s three children.

"What the two boys saw was incredibly traumatising and I hope that we stick by them for the longer term, to be able to support them with that ... We're all a big family and we're looking after each other," he said.