Timothy Loosemore, 62, faced trial in the Victorian Supreme Court, accused of the murder of Maree Vermont, 60, at her Goldie home in central Victoria on August 5, 2023.
Ms Vermont had told Loosemore she did not want an intimate relationship with him so he killed her and then set fire to her property, prosecutors alleged.
Senior crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC told the jury that an angry Loosemore snapped and physically attacked her shortly before 10pm.Â
"He did something horrific to Maree Vermont. Something he needed to conceal from the world," Mr Gibson said.
The prosecutor said Ms Vermont appeared to have fought back, pointing to the scratches Loosemore had on his face and her blood found on his clothing.
He said it was likely Ms Vermont was already dead by the time the fire took hold, as soot was not found in her airways during an autopsy.
The prosecutor told the jury the blaze was an implied admission from Loosemore that he had murdered Ms Vermont.
"He committed the crime of murder and needed to conceal the cause of death," Mr Gibson said.
But defence barrister Chris Farrington argued his client was not responsible for Ms Vermont's death, telling the jury Loosemore did not assault the woman nor did he set fire to her house.
He argued the evidence at its highest showed the fire started somewhere in the lounge room and, while there were marks on Loosemore's face, it could not be said how they got there.
"The DNA does not say that Ms Vermont caused those injuries," Mr Farrington said.
The jury could also not determine how Ms Vermont's blood came to be on Loosemore, the defence barrister said.
Jurors began their deliberations on June 12 and returned a week later, on Friday afternoon, with a verdict.
Loosemore was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of the alternate charge of manslaughter.
He was remanded in custody and will face a pre-sentence hearing on September 3.
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