A MELBOURNE man who murdered a Sudanese refugee after saying he was "going to take the town back" by killing blacks was today jailed for 16 years in the Supreme Court.

Justice Elizabeth Curtain said she was not satisfied that the vicious bashing death of Liep Gony, 19, by Clinton Rintoull was racially motivated, according to the Herald Sun.

The judge said Rintoull, 24, was driven by a sense of anger and frustration and a belief violence involving a group of youths congregating at the Noble Park railway station was out of control.

Justice Curtain said that prior to bashing the victim, Rintoull sprayed racist graffitti in a flat he shared with friends which read "F--k da niggas''.

He was later seen in the street carrying a pole and told a neighbour: "These blacks are turning the town into the Bronx. I am looking to take my town back. I'm going to kill the blacks."

Justice Curtain said she did not believe the attack was racially motivated because a few days before the incident Rintoull had made sandwiches for a homeless African man who was living in a derelict Noble Park property.

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Rintoull, of Noble Park pleaded guilty to one count of murder and one count of of intentionally damaging property in Noble Park on September 26, 2007.

A co-accused, Dylan Sabatino, 21, who also joined in the attack on Mr Gony was jailed for six years.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and one count of intentionally damaging property.

The pair hit Mr Gony, who was extremely drunk, repeatedly with their metal poles, fracturing his skull, and then left him to die.

Sentencing the pair, Justice Curtain said that on September 23, 2007 Rintoull was involved in an altercation with a group of Sudanese youths at Noble Park railway station and he called 000 and alleged he had nearly been stabbed.

He said that if the police would not do something he would take matters into his own hands.

The judge said he confronted Mr Gony on waste ground opposite a derelict house and attacked him for no reason, striking him on the head and body with the pole at least 15 times.

He was then joined by Sabatino who also struck Mr Gony with a pole a number of times.

Ms Laurie told police Rintoull and Sabatino, 22, returned after the beating and washed the bloodied and bent metal poles used to kill their victim.

"I bashed a nigger and I think he's dead,'' Rintoull said.

Justice Curtain made an order banning the media from using photographs of the two killers, ruling they might be at risk of retribution in jail.

She set a maximum jail term for Rintoull of 20 years and a maximum term for Sabatino of 10 years.