Arabic version: الادعاء يطلب السجن المؤبد لقاتل من كانبيرا

According to ABC News, ACT prosecutors have argued Adam James Britt should receive a life sentence for murdering his partner, Tiffany Spence, after what was described in court as a days-long and “torturous” attack.

Spence, 36, was killed at the couple’s Reid unit in September 2022. The ACT Supreme Court heard the attack occurred over two days. A post-mortem found fractures to her ribs and lower back, along with bruising, cuts and other injuries across 40 per cent of her body.

Britt, now 41, gave evidence during his sentencing hearing and accepted that his attacks on Spence equated to torture. He said he had intended to “punish her” because he was angry that she had “lied” to and “deceived” him. When asked whether he had been in a rage, Britt replied: “I was”.

Director of Public Prosecutions Victoria Engel SC said the sustained nature of the violence “speaks of no other intention but to kill”. The court heard Britt took photographs of Spence at different stages of the attacks. Engel suggested he was intent on preventing her from leaving him, though Britt denied he meant to use the images as future threats.

Britt pleaded guilty to murder in February, on the day his two-month trial was due to begin. He said he intended at least to cause serious harm but denied intending to kill Spence. His lawyer, Philip Massey, said the killing was “very, very grave and disturbing” but argued the evidence did not establish an intention to kill. Britt apologised to Spence’s family, describing his actions as “utterly unacceptable, shameful and wrong”. He is expected to be sentenced later this year.