Every night Laurence Hall's grandmother sleeps in his old bedroom with his singlet tucked under her pillow.
She continues to mourn the shock death of her 28-year-old grandson last year, after he was stabbed twice during a brawl and then set on fire.
Moments before Mr Hall was stabbed, on July 8, 2021, his killer had slashed another man across the face at the Dandenong house party.
Police arrested Emre Gurlu three months after Mr Hall's death. When asked by officers why he stabbed two men that night, he said: "I don't know to this day."
Gurlu, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and recklessly causing injury, told a psychologist he brought a knife to the party because he was paranoid, the Supreme Court in Melbourne heard on Thursday.
He was high on drugs, drunk and with a group of men outside the unit when he held the knife to a man's cheek and slashed him.
Mr Hall came out to see what was happening and was punched by another man. Gurlu then fatally stabbed Mr Hall twice in the chest, which he claimed was in defence of his friend.
Gurlu and the others inside the McCrae Street unit fled after the stabbing, and the property was set on fire the following day.
Firefighters found Mr Hall's badly-burnt body inside the unit. The court heard Gurlu was not responsible for lighting the fire.
Justice Michael Croucher said Gurlu's offending was "cowardly" as he jailed him for a maximum of 11 years.
"I regard this as a serious example of manslaughter, in a two-on-one attack that arose out of nothing," he told the court.
"Further, while panic may explain some actions, it was still callous and morally wrong to flee without rendering assistance."
The judge accepted prison time will weigh more heavily on Gurlu than others, as he has an intellectual disability and schizophrenia.
Mr Hall's grandmother and his two brothers told the court previously they continued to experience sadness, hurt and devastation over his death.
Gurlu, who has been in custody since he was arrested in October 2021, must spend seven-and-a-half years in prison before he will be eligible for parole.
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