Accused murderer Jack Harrison Vincent Sadler told several people of his unhappiness with his alleged victim Jake Anderson-Brettner in the months before the alleged murder on August 15, 2018.
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In an hour-and-quarter-opening address Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC gave a detailed overview of the Crown's case, the alleged murder and its aftermath.
Mr Coates said that Mr Sadler disposed of the body consistent with a rap song Dead Body Disposal.
"This was a song the accused liked listening to," he said.
"On Wednesday, August 15 there was an agreement made for a meeting to sort out the differences," he said.
"It is the Crown case that the accused decided to kill Mr Anderson Brettner on August 15."
Defence counsel Greg Richardson said the issue in the trial was whether Mr Sadler killed Mr Anderson Brettner.
He urged the jury to leave out emotion and to wait to hear all the evidence before making up their mind.
He said it was a circumstantial case and that Justice Robert Pearce would give directions about circumstantial cases at the end of the trial.
Mr Coates said that in June, Sadler texted friend Michael Jenkins telling him that he had "had enough of being f---ed around by him [Brettner]."
On August 10, Sadler allegedly texted Mr Jenkins saying he was going to "flog the spineless c... today".
In the weeks before the murder, Mr Sadler and his partner Gemma Clark went to the Velo vineyard for dinner.
"By coincidence, Mr Anderson-Brettner and his partner Katlyn Roney were there too," he said.
He said Mr Anderson-Brettner told Ms Roney that the pair did not talk much anymore but that he was going to see him during the week.
Mr Sadler texted Mr Jenkins saying "the flog wouldn't speak to me".
Mr Coates said Mr Sadler decided to kill him and requested that Ms Clark buy materials from Bunnings including plastic, garbage bags and disposable gloves, bleach and firelighters.
He prepared a room in his house, known as the shoe room, placing plastic around the walls.
Mr Coates said Mr Sadler met former Launceston barrister Adrian Hall and talked to him about how to dispose of a body.
Mr Hall said that generally, people talked about using a mine shaft at Rossarden.
"Mr Sadler asked Ms Clark to google Rossarden," Mr Coates said.
On August 15, Ms Clark bought disposable overalls, gloves and goggles from Bunnings in Invermay.
Mr Sadler also asked Ms Clark to buy vinegar, pepper and baby oil.
That day Mr Anderson-Brettner was described by people as being in good spirits as he drove his black Nissan Navara around Launceston and met several people.
He arranged to meet Ms Roney for dinner about 8pm.
He told her he was going to see Mr Sadler.
Mr Coates said Mr Anderson-Brettner bought McDonald's South Launceston about 7.10pm.
He said that the same day, Mr Anderson-Brettner had settled on the purchase of a house.
He received a call from a real estate agent as he arrived at Mr Sadler's house at 7.25pm.
Ms Clark, who was in the bedroom with the dog, heard parts of the three-to-four-minute conversation.
"Anna Langston was the last person to speak to the deceased," he said.
Mr Coates said it was the Crown's case that the phone call was consistent with what Ms Clark heard.
He said the next thing Ms Clark heard was three or four thumps.
"She heard please 'don't mate, please stop and some groaning'," Mr Coates said.
The jury heard that Mr Sadler had a Smith and Wesson pistol and a silencer.
He said that the deceased went into the plastic-lined room and was shot three times to the torso.
A neighbour Helen Hinds also heard four to five gunshots at around 7.30pm.
"After Ms Clark heard the thumps Mr Sadler asked her to destroy two mobile phones," he said.
"The accused then moved the deceased's vehicle up to Balmoral crescent in Riverside.
"It is the Crown case that the deceased was shot very shortly after arriving and finishing the phone call."
He said that after moving the vehicle Mr Sadler and Ms Clark went back into the room and chopped the deceased with an axe and sliced off his limbs.
"Ms Clark held open bags while the accused placed items into five or six bags," he said.
"He asked her to put vinegar, pepper and baby oil in a blender and put it in the bags to hide the smell," Mr Coates said.
The pair allegedly lifted garbage bags into Mr Sadler's black Jeep Cherokee and drove to the Tasman Highway where Mr Anderson-Brettner's torso was thrown down a bank.
After returning to Dion Crescent they collected some garbage bags, likely to contain the dismembered body parts, and drove to Gravelly Beach and put them in bins.
The jury heard that Ms Roney woke at 2am on August 16 and went to Mr Sadler's house to ask if he had seen him.
"No one was home and she noticed all the lights were on," Mr Coates said.
"After 20 minutes, Mr Sadler and Ms Clark returned."
He said that Mr Sadler told Ms Roney that he had been out looking for Mr Anderson-Brettner because he had not turned up.
"Ms Roney said she did not believe him and Mr Sadler said he did not have any issues with the deceased," Mr Coates said.
"It is the Crown case that what he told Ms Roney about him not turning up was a pack of lies."
He said Mr Sadler and Ms Clark cleaned the house with bleach and burned the carpet from the shoe room in a wood heater.
Mr Sadler allegedly asked Ms Clark to look up what suburbs had garbage collection and items were disposed of in residential garbage bins in West Launceston. The pistol and silencer were hidden.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
