The 31-year-old molested and murdered 11-year-old girl Zoe Buttigieg after he went into her bedroom in the early hours of October 25 last year.

He will be eligible for parole after 28 years.

Justice Lex Lasry said 16 victim impact statements from Zoe’s family showed their trauma was “palpable”.

He said although Maddigan wrote a letter of apology to the family, his claim he did not remember – and could not explain what he did to the child – lessened the impact of his remorse.

“Why you did that is a tragic mystery; you have refused and continue to refuse to give an explanation,” he said.

“It seems almost trite to say your offending was extremely serious.

“Words in themselves are extremely inadequate in a case like this.”

The now convicted murderer, wearing a white shirt and with his long hair tied up in a bun, stared ahead and showed no emotion during the sentencing.

The court heard Maddigan did not have a mental illness, although his phone contained adult and child pornography images and he had drug and alcohol issues.

He had not been invited to the party at the Inchbold Street home that night, but messaged Joe Duke – the boyfriend of Zoe’s mother Janelle Saunders – to ask to come along.

The trio drank and smoked cannabis during the night before Maddigan fell asleep in the laundry.

It was after 4am when he woke up, crept into the girl’s room and told her to come down from her bunk bed.

He told police he wanted to “have her all to myself” and described her as looking ‘angelic”.

Maddigan then molested the girl and strangled her to death with his hands, before her putting her back to bed where her body was not discovered until later in the morning by her mother.

He had only been on released from jail 19 days earlier after reoffending while on parole for violence offences.

“You were an adult guest in the home of a child’s mother, where that child was entitled to feel safe,” Justice Lasry said. “The method of killing was violent and face-to-face … It would not have occurred quickly.”

He said he gave “anxious consideration” to the possibility of a life sentence and although he could not say the sexual assault and murder were planned, he could not look past the fact Maddigan maintained he had little memory of what happened.

“I have significant reservations about the insight you have of your offending and your degree of remorse,” Justice Lasry said.

The family of Zoe Buttigieg was pleased with a life sentence for the man who took away their little girl, but are still contemplating having to face another Christmas without her.

Speaking outside court, her uncle Mat Carmody said Bowe Maddigan was “a monster who had been in all of our lives for the past 18 months”, but justice had been done.

He read a statement of behalf of Zoe’s mother Janelle Saunders, who thanked the Wangaratta community for showing support during the difficult time.

“The actions of one selfish monster have not only affected our lives, but the lives of so many other people. Today doesn’t bring closure to something that will never be forgiven or forgotten,” she said in the statement.

“Not a day goes by where Zoe is not missed. 

“I love her so much and there are so many things my little girl will never get to do … Every day is filled with emptiness and the constant realisation I will never get to see her again.”