"I'm sorry, your daughter didn't deserve such a terrible and tragic thing to happen to her," the letter said. "I don't expect forgiveness as I will never be able to forgive myself and I will be trying to make amends for the rest of my life. Codey Herrmann's letter to Aiia Maasarwe's family. "There is no excuse. I truly apologise. I will pray for you and your family every day. Don't give in to hate like I did. "Love. Goodbye."

Loading Ms Maasarwe's family were not in court for the apology, after Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth refused to adjourn the plea hearing so the family could travel to Australia. The family are Palestinian citizens of Israel. Saeed Maasarwe, the court heard, was distressed at seeing news reports about his daughter’s death and Herrmann’s crimes, which included him setting her body alight. The father contacted the prosecutor from China, where he is visiting another daughter. Justice Hollingworth said the plea hearing had to continue for practical reasons but she has agreed to sentence Herrmann on October 29 when Mr Maasarwe will be in Melbourne.

Justice Hollingworth on Tuesday lifted a suppression order which had prevented media from revealing Herrmann set Ms Maasarwe’s body alight. The judge did this, she said, because the media would be misdescribing Herrmann's crimes by not reporting those details. Aiia Maasarwe. Credit:ninevms Ms Maasarwe, a La Trobe University student, was on her way home when she was attacked in Main Drive, Bundoora about 12.10am on January 16 after getting off the route 86 tram. Herrmann struck Ms Maasarwe four times to the head with a 60-centimetre metal pipe just after she had telephoned younger sister Ruba, in Israel while walking from the tram stop to her home. He then raped and murdered her.

Loading He sprayed cleaning agent WD-40 over Ms Maasarwe’s body and set it alight with a barbecue lighter. It is unclear whether she was alive or dead when he did this. Herrmann has pleaded guilty to rape and murder and prosecutors want him jailed for life. His lawyers argue against a life term because it would extinguish any hope of rehabilitating a young man.