Sleepout murderer got his 'just deserts' - mother

Police officers working at the house in Cotton Place, Papakura, in which 23-year-old Alicia McCallion was found dead. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The mother of a woman who was killed in her sleepout says her daughter's killer got his "just deserts".

In the High Court at Auckland today, Karl John Eddy sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his former partner, 23-year-old Alicia Jordana 'AJ' McCallion.

Justice Rebecca Ellis set down a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

Eddy was found guilty in May of killing Miss McCallion. He slit the young hairdresser's throat, and her body was found with stab wounds in December 2012.

He claimed he took sleeping tablets on the night in question and woke up the next morning to discover texts from AJ on his phone. The Crown argued Eddy killed her and then sent the texts himself.

Miss McCallion had spoken to her family about 8.30pm on the night she was killed. Fewer than 12 hours later her mother, Millie McCallion, found her daughter dead at their Papakura home.

Outside the High Court at Auckland today, Ms McCallion said she was happy the court trial and sentencing was finally over.

"He got his just deserts." She said she now wanted to wash her hands of him.

"He hasn't got the balls to stand up for what he's done. That makes him less of a man. Now that it's over and done with - I just don't care anymore.

"He can go to prison and I can forget about him and that'll be ok with me," she said.

"I know lots of people talk about closure, [but] I actually haven't felt like I've experienced it yet.

"I just don't think he fully understands what he's done. AJ had so much to live for," Ms McCallion said.

"He's cut off from this world all the things that she could have done to help make it look a bit [more] beautiful."