The body of Geoffrey McLean was kept at the home of two brothers in Adelaide's northern suburbs for two weeks before his torso was put in a neighbour's bin and transported to a vacant block of land, a court has heard.
Police allege Peter James Murphy, 51, assisted with the transportation, storage and disposal of the remains of the Andrews Farm man, who was allegedly murdered in August 2022.
Mr McLean, 55, was last seen alive two months before his torso was discovered in a wheelie bin by a gardener on a vacant block of land in Salisbury South.
Mr Murphy's twin brother Mark Murphy and the latter's partner Sheree Glastonbury were charged with Mr McLean's murder in March this year.
Peter Murphy's partner has also been charged with assisting an offender.
Appearing in the Adelaide Magistrates Court via videolink on Monday, Peter Murphy slumped his head as his application for bail was denied over fears he "may interfere" with the ongoing police investigation.
SA Police prosecutor Trent Matijevic told the court that police believe Mr McLean was murdered at his Andrews Farm home in August 2022.
Sergeant Matijevic said that police suspect that Mark Murphy and Ms Glastonbury then "dismembered" the body before transferring it to their home address at Brahma Lodge, also in Adelaide's northern suburbs.
Police believe all of the four accused live at the same Brahma Lodge property.
Sergeant Matijevic told the court that police had intercepted "highly vital" telephone conversations between the twin-brothers.
He said that Peter Murphy allegedly told his brother that "I don't even know the c**t, but I know him now", and that he had also said:
"I know him very well truly now, f**king living out in my backyard for two weeks."
Sergeant Matijevic also detailed another conversation in which Peter Murphy told his brother that they would now need to get another person involved "in this elaborate f**king lie".
'I don't know what footage they've got'
The court heard that police obtained CCTV footage of a car they allege was involved in the incident.
The prosecutor told the court that there was another conversation in which Peter Murphy allegedly said "I don't know what footage they've got but if it's me and it's out there, we're f**ked".
Sergeant Matijevic also told the court that the wheelie bin in which Mr McLean's torso was found was assigned to the neighbours of the accused and co-accused.
"All we have at the moment is the torso of the victim," the prosecutor said.
"We're still looking for the outstanding body parts."
The prosecution told the court that Peter Murphy's partner had admitted to police that she was aware that "a body had been situated at their house" and that "she wanted to tell police about this but did not want to get the co-accused's brother, Mark Murphy, in trouble".
Peter Murphy's lawyer told the court that his client had been charged with assisting an offender and "not the primary offence of murder", in arguing for bail.
"It's not certainly the most serious offence this court has ever seen," his defence lawyer said.
Magistrate Brian Nitschke denied Peter Murphy bail, saying he had "a fear he may interfere with the investigation".
