In short:

Mark Peckham has been sentenced to 24 years' jail after he murdered a man inside a Dubbo home while searching for drugs.

The court heard Peckham was on bail at the time of the crime.

What's next?

With a non-parole period of 17 years and six months, the 39-year-old will be eligible for release in 2043.

A man who murdered the occupant of a Western NSW home during a failed drug robbery has been sentenced to 24 years' jail.

In March, a jury found Mark Peckham guilty of murdering 41-year-old George Kirk, who was staying at a home on Margaret Crescent on August 16, 2023.

On Monday, Justice Nicholas Chen handed down the prison term with a non-parole period of 17 years and six months before the Supreme Court in Orange.

During the August attack, Peckham and another man walked into the home in the middle of the night and demanded drugs.

When George Kirk and his partner, Tammy Antaw, denied there were any drugs in the house, a fight broke out and Mr Kirk was stabbed multiple times.

Ms Antaw said she saw Peckham deliver the fatal wound, which struck Mr Kirk underneath the left armpit and punctured his lung.

Another man staying at the home of Ms Antaw phoned Triple Zero (000), however, Mr Kirk was unable to be revived.

The court determined it was Peckham and not the co-accused who delivered the fatal stab wound based on the witness account made by Ms Antaw and statements other witnesses heard Peckham make after the crime.

Ms Antaw said she saw Peckham stab Mr Kirk twice, after which Mr Kirk said: "What are you trying to do? Are you trying to kill me?"

Victim's family heartbroken

The victim's parents and older sister had statements read out at the sentencing hearing.

"We loved him deeply and we miss him every minute of every day," his parents said in their statement.

"Since his death our lives have changed completely.

"We no longer feel the same sense of safety and confidence."

His sister told the court her nine-years-younger brother felt like a son due to the age difference between them.

"I am broken. My heart is torn in two," she said.

"The grief and trauma are unbearable."

The court heard aggravating factors included that the offence was committed in a home, where inhabitants were entitled to feel safe, and the presence of two men entering a home uninvited in the middle of the night was designed to give weight to their threats.

Peckham was on bail at the time of the offence and the court heard he had a lengthy rap sheet and spent a total of 10 years in jail since 2009 in NSW and Queensland.

His defence solicitor, James Trevallion, argued his client's extensive criminal history called for expert intervention.

"He certainly has an issue of anger but that issue of anger discloses the need for psychological intervention rather than a need for increase in specific deterrence," Mr Trevallion said.

Justice Chen said he took into account mental health conditions including a PTSD diagnosis due to a background of trauma Peckham suffered during his childhood.

However, Justice Chen said he did not find Peckham remorseful and cited his history of drug use and offending during sentencing.

"I consider his rehabilitation prospects poor," Justice Chen said.

The start of Peckham's sentence has been backdated to January and he will be eligible for parole in 2043.