Marilyn Burdon, 70, was found dead at her Kew home in 2017. Her partner, Charles Bisucci, killed her and then himself.

An inquest is looking at how the former solicitor who had his gun licence cancelled and 15 of his firearms seized in 2004, was able to keep accessing weapons.

One of the seized guns, a Winchester rifle, was used in the murder-suicide.

It ended up being registered in the name of Bisucci's friend, Sebastian Carmuciano, Victoria's Coroners Court was told on Monday.

Counsel assisting the inquest Naomi Hodgson said Bisucci had a history of mental health issues and violence-related convictions.

He suffered episodic, and at times profound and debilitating, depression, and had narcissistic and antisocial traits, according to psychiatrist Rowan McIntosh.

Bisucci and Ms Burdon saw Dr McIntosh together two months before their deaths.

The psychiatrist agreed with Ms Burdon's suggestion her partner had a personality disorder.

Dr McIntosh also warned Ms Burdon about Bisucci's duplicity and the risks of a financial relationship with him.

Two weeks before she died, Ms Burdon told the psychiatrist's secretary: "I can't cope with him (Bisucci)".

Bisucci told Dr McIntosh Ms Burdon had asked him to move out, "didn't want" him anymore and this meant he "had nothing to live for".

They'd been together for five or six years, and had lived together for about two months.

The day she was killed, Ms Burdon and said she was taking Bisucci to his psychiatrist and confirmed lunch plans with her daughter.

When Ms Burdon didn't arrive, two of her children went to her Kew home and found Bisucci dead.

Emergency services found Ms Burdon's body.

Her family wanted answers about how a man with a history of violence and mental instability was able to access guns, barrister Tanya Skvortsova said.

They also questioned how the warning signs were not picked up by Dr McIntosh.

The psychiatrist said he didn't entertain the notion Bisucci might harm his partner and had no reason to believe he was contemplating violence against others.

Bisucci used his friends to get around the cancellation of his gun licence, the inquest was told.

He transferred a total of eight firearms into the name of Mr Carmuciano, who gave evidence on the basis it could not be used against him except in perjury proceedings.

Two of those guns, recorded as missing in 2014, were found at Ms Burdon's Kew home alongside the couple's bodies.

Mr Carmuciano repeatedly described Bisucci as a "very secretive person" who didn't tell him anything.

He also he'd trusted him completely because of his legal training and that Bisucci "took advantage of me".

He told police in 2014 he may have lent him six guns. But Mr Carmuciano told the inquest that was wrong and he'd lent them to another man.

The inquest is set to continue on Wednesday.

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Australian Associated Press