Vic boy killed with knuckle dusters: court

A man who thought Cayleb Hough had harmed his father allegedly bashed the teenager for hours before punching him in the head with knuckle dusters and dumping his body in an old Victorian mineshaft.

Thomas Kelson, 28, faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday accused of murdering 17-year-old Cayleb in December 2015.

Cayleb's remains were discovered in a shallow mineshaft in the Lerderderg State Park, in Bacchus Marsh, in March 2016.

In the lead-up to the alleged murder, Kelson and Cayleb had been at a house party together in Skye in Melbourne's southeast.

They left together in Kelson's car and visited one of Cayleb's friend's homes in the early hours of that morning, acting "erratically".

It was at premises in Collingwood that Kelson allegedly bashed Cayleb over several hours, believing the boy had harmed his father.

"Mr Hough was punched to the head and face, and had knife injuries to his forearm," prosecutor Mark Rochford told the committal hearing.

"The assaults continued to escalate over the course of the day."

Kelson bundled the injured Cayleb into the back of his car and set off for an abandoned mineshaft more than 60km away, the court heard.

At some point during the journey, Kelson allegedly stopped, stepped out of the car, opened the back door and "lost it".

"He repeatedly struck the deceased to the head while wearing knuckle dusters," Mr Rochford said.

"He believed Mr Hough died there."

Kelson's friend, who has pleaded guilty to assisting an offender, had suggested the disused shaft as a place to ditch Cayleb.

This friend, who can't be named for legal reasons, followed in another car and helped to dispose of the body.

"They removed Mr Hough's body from the car. It was wrapped in a tarp," the prosecutor said.

"They dragged it into the bushland and put it into the mineshaft."

The committal hearing will continue on Wednesday.