Vic murderer told 'preposterous' lies

THE man who killed Melbourne prostitute Johanna "Jazzy O" Martin told scurrilous and preposterous lies in his own defence, a judge says.

Steve Constantinou was last week found guilty of murdering Ms Martin, a 65-year-old sex worker and stripper also known as Honi, at his Port Melbourne apartment in October 2011.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Phillip Priest said Constantinou had not shown any remorse at all for his crimes, and had lied to avoid being held accountable.

"In my observation his defence was scurrilous and time wasting," Justice Priest said during Constantinou's plea hearing on Wednesday.

"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that he perjured himself and perjured himself deliberately."

Constantinou, 49, had claimed Ms Martin's death was the result of a sex act gone wrong, but prosecutors said he murdered her to avoid repaying a debt of several thousand dollars.

Justice Priest said he found Constantinou's evidence to be preposterous.

"Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have rejected his evidence," he said.

After he killed Ms Martin, Constantinou stole some of her jewellery and sold it at a Footscray pawn shop, before putting bets on at a nearby pub.

He later returned to the apartment, wrapped Ms Martin's body and dumped it in bushes on Lorimer Street.

Ms Martin's friend Barbara Bushell told the court Ms Martin was very happy in the months leading up to her death and was looking forward to an overseas holiday.

"This lady for the first time in her life had found peace," she said.

Defence barrister Shane Tyrrell said Constantinou had suffered a gambling addiction since 1987, and conceded that he was a petty thief.

However, he said the killing was totally out of character and Constantinou had mostly been a kind friend to Ms Martin.

Constantinou's trial heard that Ms Martin had about $3 million in assets that included properties and cars.

Justice Priest will sentence Constantinou on Friday.

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