David Benbow's neighbours said in the days following Michael McGrath's disappearance, Benbow told them "he didn't give an f**k" McGrath had gone missing.
The friends also told the court Benbow told them he'd tell his ex-partner Joanna Green that if she had an affair, he'd cut her up and put her in the septic tank.
David Benbow smiled when the court door wouldn't open on Friday morning, but didn't smile during some uncomfortable evidence today.
His friends and neighbours remembered what he told them shortly after Michael McGrath went missing.
"He shouted 'I don't give a f**k what happened to him, it just teaches you not to introduce your partner or wife to another man'," Benbow's neighbour Pamela Barnes said.
In separate evidence, her husband recalled the same comment from Benbow.
"He replied to that with 'I don't give a f**k what's happened to Mike'. He just tells you, 'don't introduce your partner to another man', which I thought was a bit strange," Andrew Barnes said.
McGrath had recently started seeing Benbow's ex-partner Jo Green which is why the Crown said Benbow killed him.
The neighbours said police had been searching Benbow's septic tank which prompted another conversation.
His neighbour told the court Benbow told them Joanna Green would have told police to search the septic tank because of something Benbow had said to Green during an argument about what he would do if she had an affair.
"If she had an affair on him he would kill her and cut her and put her in the septic tank," Pamela Barnes said.
She said she became increasingly uneasy about his comments and demeanour following McGrath's disappearance.
"He never said 'I didn't do it', he didn't have the expected reaction that you would expect to see with someone in his situation."
Benbow's lawyers queried her concern that Benbow didn't accept the gravity of the situation.
"Just so we're clear Mrs Barnes, you're not a psychologist?" a lawyer asked.
"No I understand that but as a friend, I would have expected him to be more animated about it," Barnes said, talking over the lawyer.
The trial is set to run for another five weeks.
