The grieving family of Tiffany Woodley sobbed in court as her former partner Peter Damjanovic pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Ms Woodley's body was found by police unresponsive and "severely injured" at her home in Perth's east in August last year,

Mr Damjanovic was arrested at the home.

On Monday, Western Australia Supreme Court heard a trial into the mother-of-three's death would investigate whether Mr Damjanovic intended to cause Ms Woodley's death.

Mr Damjanovic's lawyer Simon Freitag SC told the court his client had taken actions and was involved in an incident with the deceased before her death, and that she received injuries as a consequence of that.

But his lawyer said it was a question of whether it was those actions or something else that caused Ms Woodley's death, that needed to be resolved at a trial with evidence from a forensic pathologist.

Justice Joseph McGrath set aside two trial dates to take place in either January or August next year, hoping the matter would be resolved earlier.

Outside of court, Ms Woodley's mother Meretta Kickett told reporters she still felt grief for her daughter.

"It is not fair if a person pleads not guilty and think they'll get a slap on the wrist, where is justice in this system?" she said.

"I have been a mother for 36 years and no mother would want to feel this kind of pain and grief that has been put onto my family.

"A mother has to do what a mother has to do and keep pushing for justice and make sure the law provides justice for me and my family, who (are) grieving.

"We want justice done as part of our healing and to move forward.

"My daughter had to put up with so much back then, any mother would ask the question why."

Emma Kirk - NCA NewsWire