And it has been shockingly revealed during today’s sentencing hearing in the Brisbane Supreme Court that the 23-year-old was adopted, but did not know until DNA obtained after the killing showed she was not the 56-year-old victim’s biological daughter.

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“She was not aware that she was adopted until during this process... it was brought to her attention,” defence barrister Tony Glynn QC told the court.

The court heard the detail was not brought up during the trial because the Crown could not establish the teaching student was unaware of the fact at the time of the killing.

In sentencing, Justice Ann Lyons said Radica was “horribly horribly injured”.

“You did, for a long period of time maintain an elaborate ruse,” she said.

Justice Lyons also said by all accounts the 56-year-old was a loving mother.

“... her brother says in a statement... how fond of you she was, how much she loved you, how generous she was to you and how much she had given you,” Justice Lyons said.

“You yourself said in your record of interview she had only given you good and never bad.”

Zafirovska will be eligible to apply for parole in 2036.

Zafirovska was today found guilty by a Supreme Court jury of bludgeoning her mother to death with a piece of artificial decking.

Zafirovska had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder at the start of her three-week trial.

The Crown argued Zafirovska beat 56-year-old to death as she lay in bed at their home in The Gap on October 28, 2016.

The woman, who was a popular cleaner at the Brisbane Courts building, suffered 26 injuries that led to her death, the jury heard.

Zafirovska told police at the time of the killing, intruders had broken into the home and killed her mother with a piece of floorboard the woman kept behind her bed for protection.

About 7am on October 28 three years ago, Zafirovska phoned triple-0 and told the operator she was scared and hiding in her bedroom, hearing footsteps on the wooden floor of the home.

When police arrived at the property, they found Radica Zafirovska in her bed with such serious head injuries her brain was exposed, the court heard.

A lounge room of the property also showed signs of being disturbed.

The piece of decking was later found in Zafirovska’s room by police.

It had blood on it that matched the deceased woman’s DNA but not Zafirovska’s, the court heard.

No one was seen leaving or arriving at the house on the morning Radica was found dead, the jury was also told during the trial.

The family had two dogs that often barked, but no neighbours heard barking on the day of the woman’s slaying, the court heard.

The jury also heard there was no evidence of forced entry to the home on the day of the alleged home invasion, but several doors at the property were open.

The jury, who retired shortly after noon on Tuesday, took one day to reach their guilty verdict.

Crown prosecutor David Meredith argued during the trial Zafirovska killed her mother and claimed there had been a break-in to cover her tracks.

The Crown argued the motive for the killing was the fact Zafirovska had wanted to stay in Macedonia with her boyfriend but her mother told her she would not financially support her through her studies if she did not return to Queensland.

The court heard Zafirovska had lied about when university holidays finished so she could stay longer in Macedonia but it was not until a friend of Ms Zafirovska’s told her the student would miss the beginning of the university semester that she told her daughter to return home sooner.

The court has previously heard Zafirovska had obtained quotes for flights overseas prior to her mother’s slaying.

Zafirovska was speaking to her boyfriend in Macedonia on the phone about 3.40am of the day of the killing, the court heard.

The court heard Radica did not support the relationship because the man was much older than her.

Mr Meredith also alleged Zafirovska stood to benefit financially following her mother’s death.

However, the court heard throughout the trial the mother and daughter loved each other “a lot” and Zafirovska often called her mother “the best mother in the world”.

The defence argued that Zafirovska could not have committed the killing because there was no evidence of blood on her clothing and there was a possibility the people who entered the home had a key.

Defence barrister Tony Glynn QC suggested death was a vengeance killing that could only be explained by reasons known to the deceased the 56-year-old.

He argued the intruders could have been known to Radica Zafirovska and had links to Macedonia.

She will be sentenced this afternoon.