Author killed man with hammer: court

A Melbourne author used a hammer to fatally bash a man he owed money to, before wrapping his body in plastic and burying it in a shallow grave, a court has heard.

Prosecutors allege Douglas Fredrick Robinson, a heavy gambler, killed Michael Grech, 63, because he was unable to repay $18,750 he owed him.

Robinson, also 63, had agreed if he did not meet the repayment deadline he would sign over his share of his father's inheritance to Mr Grech, it is alleged.

The Victorian Supreme Court heard on Tuesday Mr Grech was asked to attend a property in Melton, northwest of Melbourne, in November 2007, to discuss whether he was interested in investing in a cannabis crop Robinson and two other men were growing.

In a carport area of the property Robinson used a hammer to repeatedly strike Mr Grech to the head with "double-handed blows", Prosecutor Peter Rose, SC, told the jury.

"Those blows, it is said, killed Mr Grech," he said.

"It is the Crown case that Mr Robinson was the person who smashed the deceased with the hammer and killed him."

David Campbell, one of the other men growing the cannabis crop, saw a bloodied Robinson standing over Mr Grech's body holding the hammer, the court heard.

After the killing, Mr Grech's body was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave, that Robinson had allegedly dug earlier, in bushland at nearby Toolern Vale.

Robinson, Mr Campbell and another man Corrado Motta then cleaned up the property to hide evidence, including removing bits of carpet and pavers.

They also regularly returned to the burial site to check that Mr Grech's body was concealed.

Police discovered his body in April 2008, nearly six months later.

Robinson has pleaded not guilty to murder.

He also denies stealing two gold chains from Mr Grech's body and selling them for $1,300.

Robinson's lawyer Mark Rochford said his client did not kill Mr Grech.

Mr Rochford said the Crown case relied heavily on the evidence of Mr Campbell and Mr Motta.

"The truthfulness, the accuracy, the reliability, the credibility of Motta and Campbell is in issue, very much so," he said.

"They have their own reasons, you will hear, as the evidence unfolds, to be pointing the blame away from themselves and to be putting it on to someone else."

The trial before Justice Paul Coghlan continues on Wednesday.