Ashlee Gunstone and Sally-Anne Wills were in their car, making plans for the next day, when a man wielding a knife appeared at the door and launched a frenzied attack.
"I want sex," Mohammed Ibrahim told the couple, before stabbing Ms Wills in the chest and neck.
In a desperate attempt to save her partner, Ms Gunstone threw herself over Ms Wills to protect her, while being attacked by Ibrahim in the back and neck.
Victorian coroner Leveasque Peterson on Thursday described Ms Gunstone's actions as "the epitome of courage, love and selflessness", as she handed down her findings on Ibrahim's deadly rampage.
The unprovoked attacks began on March 11, 2020, when Ibrahim slashed a protective service officer in the face and arm with a knife at Jolimont train station.
Just 30 minutes later, Ibrahim was in Hawthorn, where Ms Wills and Ms Gunstone were sitting in a car outside their home.
As Ms Wills, 30, opened her car door the women saw Ibrahim standing there leering at them and began stabbing Ms Wills.
Ms Gunstone leaned over her girlfriend to protect her while being stabbed by Ibrahim. She then leaned on the car horn to attract help, with the noise causing Ibrahim to stop attacking them and run away.
Despite Ms Gunstone's best efforts, Ms Wills died at the scene.
Before being taken to hospital, Ms Gunstone gave police a description of Ibrahim and more officers were called in as the area was locked down.
His next victim, 59-year-old Christopher Polden, passed Ibrahim in the street before the killer stopped him for a short conversation.
He waited for a car to pass before pulling out a knife and stabbing Mr Polden in the abdomen. He ran away from Ibrahim and called triple zero.
Mr Polden gave police a description of his attacker, but died in the ambulance taking him to hospital.
Police closed in on Ibrahim in a laneway and officers demanded he drop his weapon and get on the ground. He ignored these instructions and approached police, brandishing a knife.
Within two seconds, three police officers fired at Ibrahim, who immediately fell to the ground. Officers attempted to resuscitate him but he died.
Ms Peterson found the officers' actions were appropriate and justified, and complied with their training and the relevant laws.
She said there were no red flags to warn police ahead of the stabbing spree and Ibrahim was not known to security or intelligence agencies.
"Police, emergency responders and members of the community showed great bravery that night and those involved are to be commended on their actions," Ms Peterson said.
She found there was no clear motive for the attacks but said she could not rule out that Ibrahim's mental health issues were a factor.
He was violent towards his ex-wife and after getting a divorce he became paranoid, depressed and believed people were following him.
Australian Associated Press
