A man who was found dead in a northern Adelaide rubbish tip in 2021 was allegedly bashed and killed before he was dumped in a green waste bin, a court has heard.
Daniel Gordon Bremner, 46, is accused of killing a man he was living with at Hectorville in Adelaide's east, and putting him into a bin that was eventually dumped at Wingfield.
The victim's identity has been suppressed to protect his family.
In his opening address to the jury, prosecutor Jim Pearce KC said Mr Bremner had been homeless before the victim took him in.
"The accused had been staying at the [victim's] house in the months leading up to the death and the two of them were often seen out and about together," Mr Pearce said.
"Sometimes threats were exchanged between them — sometimes the accused would threaten to kill [the victim]," he said.
The Supreme Court heard the victim was last seen on December 17, and his body was found on December 21 by a worker who was sorting through waste.
"As he [the worker] picked up what he thought was a pile of waste, something caught his attention and he saw what he believed was a leg protruding from the grapple," Mr Pearce told the jury.
The court heard police were initially unable to identify the body until they undertook a fingerprint scan.
Accused admits to victim's manslaughter
Mr Pearce alleged Mr Bremner bashed the victim at his Hectorville unit.
"Whilst we know where [the victim] was killed we don't know exactly when," he said.
Mr Pearce said the victim sustained a traumatic brain injury.
"Suggesting also [the victim] may have had a period of survival, post the infliction of those injuries, albeit likely a state of altered consciousness or unconsciousness," he said.
The court heard CCTV vision captured Mr Bremner buying several items, including kitchen tidy bags, socks, cigarettes and alcohol, with the victim's credit card after the alleged murder.
"At a time of course when [the victim] was well and truly dead," Mr Pearce said.
Mr Bremner's counsel Paul Charman said his client has admitted to the victim's manslaughter.
"The fundamental question is – what his intent was at the time?" he said to the jury.
The trial continues.