21-year-old Pacteau has received a mandatory life sentence for the brutal murder of Irish student Karen Buckley on April 12 this year.
He will have to serve a minimum of 23 years before being considered for parole.
Ms. Buckley’s parents were present in court as Mr. Pacteau was led away to begin his sentence.
In a statement, they said: “Today’s life sentence will not bring our beautiful Karen back, our little angel has been taken from us forever in the cruellest of ways. We mourn for her every day. It will however ensure that women are safe from harm from the truly evil coward who took our beautiful Karen’s precious life. I hope that he is never released and spends every day in prison haunted by what he did.”