Wharfie denies threat to stabbed Huxley

A Sydney wharf worker who had a long-running dispute with murder victim Morgan Huxley has denied threatening him.

John Gibbens has also denied telling a fellow wharfie who attended Mr Huxley's funeral: "I've got an alibi. I hope you have."

Mr Huxley was discovered by his Neutral Bay flatmate early on September 8 2013, after being stabbed 20 times.

Former junior chef Daniel Jack Kelsall, 22, has pleaded not guilty to his murder.

At Kelsall's Supreme Court trial on Wednesday, two of Mr Huxley's old flames gave evidence Mr Huxley had mentioned he was stressed about a dispute at work involving a man named John.

But Mr Gibbens, who ran a marina business near the Sydney Fishmarkets and had dealings with Mr Huxley, appeared in the witness box later on Wednesday and denied having threatened him.

He conceded the pair had butted heads in relation to foreshore land and equipment Mr Huxley was using.

He had arranged to have water police involved in one matter and had spoken to his solicitor about another, the court heard.

The two men even had an hour-long stand-off in a car park over Mr Huxley's refusal to hand back a key, Mr Gibbens said.

The wharfie agreed he "didn't particularly like" Mr Huxley, whom he described in an interview as a "boisterous, obnoxious drunk".

But he flatly denied saying of Mr Huxley: "I swear I'll square that little c*** up if it's the last thing I do."

He also rejected suggestions he told off an employee for attending Mr Huxley's funeral.

Kelsall's barrister Christopher Watson put to Mr Gibbens that when he found out one worker had gone to pay his respects, he said: "I'm not real happy ... I'm being hassled by the detectives and you've gone to the funeral. I've got an alibi. I hope you have."

"I deny saying any of that," Mr Gibbens said.

The trial continues.