WHO WAS CELESTE MANNO
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* Celeste Manno, 23, was a criminology and psychology graduate, who led a team at Serco Communications where she briefly worked with Luay Sako before he began harassing and stalking her
* She was killed by Sako when he broke into her home using a hammer to smash her bedroom window in the early hours of November 16, 2020
* Ms Manno lived at home with her mother, Aggie Di Mauro in Mernda, northeast of Melbourne
* Her family and friends describe her legacy as one of love, innocence and kindness
WHO IS LUAY SAKO
* Sako, 39, began stalking and harassing Ms Manno a week after he was sacked from their workplace
* The Roxburgh Park man had no history of criminal offending and has remained in custody since his arrest in November 2020
WHAT SAKO'S PRE-SENTENCING HEARING HAS BEEN TOLD
* Sako has pleaded guilty to one charge of murder, but claims he only stabbed Ms Sako twice as opposed to the 23 knife-inflicted wounds alleged by the prosecution
* Sako, representing himself on Monday in Victoria's Supreme Court, contended most of the injuries were sustained by glass shards on the floor
* Forensic pathologist Paul Bedford said her body had 23 sharp force injuries including defensive wounds, that at least the majority were knife-inflicted and the cause of death was a deep stab wound to the heart
* Following Sako's termination from Serco, Ms Manno was subjected to more than 12 months of obsessive and increasingly degrading social media messages from Sako's multiple accounts
* She sought advice from police and her senior work management, obtaining a personal safety order against Sako in July 2020 and a further interim order in August 2020
* Sako was arrested on August 10 for breaching the order by contacting Ms Manno using social media accounts and sending a three-and-a-half page letter criticising the safety measures
* Hours before her death Ms Manno uploaded her first and final photos with boyfriend Chris Ridsdale to Instagram, which forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee said prompted Sako to go into "a state of rage and desperation"
* Ms Manno's family and friends submitted 18 victim impact statements, repeatedly labelling Sako a "demon" and criticising the system that "did nothing to protect her"
* Sako was diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder, major depressive disorder and severe personality disorder which were "necessary" for him to stalk the victim, but "were not sufficient to explain his behaviour"
* Dr Darjee and two other psychiatrists found Sako exaggerated "highly atypical" psychosis symptoms, claiming a being called "Isha" compelled him to kill Ms Manno
* The psychiatrists believe Sako's mental illnesses were not severe enough to claim a mental impairment defence
* Dr Darjee said he posed a moderate to high risk of further stalking and subsequently violence if released from prison
WHERE TO FROM HERE
* The prosecution described the murder as an unprovoked, savage, and cowardly attack, calling for a life imprisonment sentence with an appropriate parole period
* Sako's defence sought a stern fixed term, stating that a life sentence would have no additional benefit given his age
* Justice Jane Dixon will deliver the sentence at a later date
Australian Associated Press
