Vic ice dealer tortured, killed man: court

A Melbourne ice dealer tortured then suffocated another drug user because he thought he had dobbed him in to police, a Melbourne court has heard.

Prosecutor Mark Rochford says Harvey Spence, 30, told a friend he was involved in a disappearance, that he dismembered and burnt the body, and would never get over the smell.

The crown alleges he told a friend: "Did I torture him? Yes I did. Did he cop it bad? Yes he did. Did I really want to do it? No. Did I get off on it? Yes."

Spence, of Footscray, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Nhan Ngoc Doan, also known as Kevin Doan, who has not been seen since January 6, 2013.

Mr Rochford told the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday that Spence had become paranoid after being arrested for drug possession and blamed two people for tipping off police.

Mr Rochford said Spence and two associates drove Mr Doan to a property in East Gippsland where he was killed.

The crown says Spence dragged Mr Doan to a shed, put an elbow on his head and said: "Why haven't you been to jail? All your friends are in jail. You've given them up", before forcing an associate to suffocate him at gunpoint.

Mr Rochford said one of the other men said: "What if it was the other one man? You can't f****** do that to him."

Spence allegedly replied, "No f*** the dog. He goes."

Defence barrister John Desmond told the jury the crown case relied on the evidence of two people who were inherently unreliable.

"These two men are both liars and cheats," Mr Desmond said.

One of them lied for six hours of his interview with police, the other tried to cut a deal, saying, "I've got my a*** in the sling here."

"You wouldn't hang a dog on what either or both of these men have to say," Mr Desmond said.

The trial continues before Justice Michael Croucher.