Snapshot of Zoe Buttigieg murder case

PRECIS OF A 'GRATUITOUS' MURDER CASE

WHO

* Bowe Evan Levi Maddigan, 31, father of two, of Mildura, who has a history of substance-fuelled violence

CHARGES

* Maddigan pleaded guilty to committing an indecent act on and murdering 11-year-old Zoe Louise Buttigieg in her bedroom in the early hours of October 25, 2015

ARREST

* Police picked up Maddigan walking barefoot along the Hume Freeway, dazed and with self-inflected injuries about 10km from Zoe's Wangaratta home at 6.30am on October 25 - hours before her mother found her lifeless body

WHAT THE COURT WAS TOLD

* After a night of drinking and smoking cannabis with Zoe's mother Janelle Saunders, her partner and others, Maddigan got the girl down from her bunk bed, sexually assaulted her, strangled her and then put her back in bed

* No explanation for the assault or murder has been given - other than Maddigan's sexual gratification - nor why a large gold ring belonging to him was found in Zoe's mouth

* Maddigan's defence lawyer appealed for a non-life sentence, saying he had prospects of drug and alcohol rehabilitation in prison, and had embraced Christianity

SENTENCE

* Life imprisonment, with a 28-year non-parole period

* "It is almost trite to say your offending was extremely serious. It might not have been a prolonged or frenzied attack ... But the fact you murdered her is gratuitous" - Justice Lex Lasry told Maddigan.