'Do better': family's powerful message after DV murder

Her family faced long hours moving between hope and dread as she lay in intensive care for three days before the heartbreaking decision to turn off life support.

They gathered outside Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday to deliver a powerful message after Marsh, 39, received a life sentence for murder.

"Women are still dying. Women are still faced with so much trauma and hurt and pain because of men who have not fixed themselves," Ms Benedito's cousin Josiah Benedito-Taotafa said.

"I want men to call out shitty behaviours with their friends.

"I want men to grow some balls and start doing better with their communities."

Domestic violence would continue until every person could "educate themselves and do better", he said.

"I want to encourage the government to keep fighting for people's safety, in their community, their relationships, in their minds."

Marsh dragged Ms Benedito back into a Gold Coast hotel room and killed her, making a pathetic attempt to revive her before a cowardly escape, Justice Lincoln Crowley said.

Ms Benedito had been subject to blunt force assaults and died of a brain injury caused by manual strangulation.

"She had significant bruising to (her) arms, forearms, shoulders and fingers referred to as defensive injuries," crown prosecutor Nathan Crane said.

The couple were separated and had been arguing about Ms Benedito's plan to move to New Zealand with their 11-month-old son.

Marsh was also jealous over Ms Benedito seeing other men.

The couple could be seen on CCTV earlier in their Gold Coast holiday swimming and shopping.

Marsh fled their hotel room after fatally wounding Ms Benedito and travelled to a Brisbane suburb while attempting to evade a police search.

Mr Crane said Marsh pleaded guilty to murder on the basis he assaulted Ms Benedito with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm.

Ms Benedito was remembered as "humorous, totally confident in her values and deeply compassionate", Mr Benedito-Taotafa said in a victim impact statement.

"My family has seen their faith shaken, their health decline and a collective struggle to navigate grief, shock and trauma."

Ms Benedito's sister said she never thought she would have to bury her younger sibling.

"Her greatest achievement was being a mum and he took that from her," she said.

Ms Benedito's aunty Maria, who had helped raise her as a child, said she would always be heartbroken.

"Seeing her black and blue with tubes keeping her alive broke our family into pieces," she said.

Marsh had daily regrets and self-hatred for taking what could not be replaced, he wrote in a letter to Ms Benedito's family.

"The unfairness of my actions are too severe to ask for forgiveness," he said.

Marsh's barrister said his guilty pleas had saved the family the trauma of a trial and he was genuinely remorseful.

Marsh made a cowardly escape before paramedics arrived, Justice Crowley said.

"All this happened because you became angry ... you sought to control her life."

Marsh will be eligible for parole in under 16 years due to time already served in custody.

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