Melbourne, Oct 29 (AP/UNB) — An Australian judge has sentenced a man to 36 years in prison for the murder and rape of an Israeli student in the city of Melbourne.

Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth on Tuesday ordered Codey Herrmann to serve at least 30 years behind bars for his crimes against 21-year-old Aiia Maasarwe in January.

Herrmann had pleaded guilty to repeatedly beating Maasarwe with a metal pole, sexually assaulting her and setting her on fire in the attack.

Hollingworth said: "Women should be free to walk the streets alone without fear of being violently attacked by a stranger."

The victim had been studying at La Trobe University in Melbourne for the previous five months as an exchange student from Shanghai University in China.