STAVROS Papadopoulos's lawyer says her client now fully admits the killing of Zhang "Tina" Yu was a planned thrill murder.

Kim Baumeler said Papadopoulos would no longer try to deny any of the terrifying abuse he inflicted upon Ms Yu before killing her on June 25 last year.

His admissions yesterday came just over a week before another hearing was due to be held in the Supreme Court in Hobart to determine the true details of Ms Yu's horrific, prolonged death.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this year to murdering Ms Yu, but he denied certain allegations such as punching her and throwing her against the walls of his New Town flat.

The 22-year-old drug abuser even went as far as to blame his victim for her death, saying she provoked him by asking for sex.

He told police: "I'm saying, whose fault is it? Every girl knows not to jump into strangers' cars."

But yesterday Ms Baumeler told the court her client now fully accepted the Director of Public Prosecutions' version of events, including the allegation that he went out looking for a "bitch" to kill and that it was a "planned thrill murder".

She said Papadopoulos admitted repeatedly punching the 26-year-old university student, grabbing her between the legs and throwing her against walls before finally choking her and drowning her in a bath.

DPP Tim Ellis yesterday called for a sentence of life in prison for Papadopoulos, saying there was great concern he was still a danger to the community.

"This is definitely in the category of the worst case of murder," Mr Ellis said.

He said Ms Yu was a complete stranger to her killers and offered no provocation.

Mr Ellis said her death was violent and prolonged and it appeared she foresaw her death, as she eventually asked Papadopoulos to kill her.

Papadopoulos showed no remorse for his victim or her family in China and offered no help to police in finding her body. But Mr Ellis said he was not opposed to Papadopoulos' being offered a chance of parole in the future.

Papadopoulos and his co-accused Daniel Jo Williams, 22, will be sentenced on Wednesday next week. Williams was found guilty in April of Ms Yu's manslaughter. The court heard he sat smoking marijuana while Papadopoulos tortured Ms Yu.

Williams admitted helping Papadopoulos by trying to strangle Ms Yu with a cord, undressing her before she was drowned, cleaning the blood and helping to dump her body.