The brother of murder accused Milan Urlich says he was asleep in a Canberra hotel the night he is accused of helping hide and move the body of Andrew Carville, a jury has heard.
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Canberra man Milan Urlich, 30, is on trial accused of murdering Mr Carville on November 4, 2015.
His brother Marc Urlich, 45, is also on trial, accused of helping to move and hide the body.
Police found Mr Carville's body in a dry creek bed on November 19, about two weeks after he allegedly died.
Both men have pleaded not guilty and are facing a trial before Justice John Burns in the ACT Supreme Court.
Milan Urlich has admitted he caused Mr Carville's death, wrapped the body in a carpet, and hid the body, but denies murdering him, the jury previously heard.
In a statement to police read to the jury, Marc Urlich said he slept alone in the Ibis Styles Canberra Eaglehawk on the night he is accused of moving the body.
Mr Urlich says his brother had been visiting him in the months preceding the death.
He said he was helping Milan get off the drug ice and get his life in order.
Marc said Milan turned up at his home in Phillip Island in Victoria on November 8, telling Marc he was "f---ed".
"He was acting like somone who had been using ice excessively," Marc said.
"He wasn't really making too much sense just sort of rambling about general and abstract things nothing and speaking in a way that sounded super paranoid."
Marc said that on November 12 Milan said he wanted to go back to Canberra to find his identification, collect some money and pay some people money.
Marc said he agreed to drive him to Canberra the next day.
"I mainly wanted to get him into and out of Canberra as quickly as possible," the statement said.
He said he dropped him off to a commission flat, which was quite clearly a "drug house" and told him to call him in a few hours and he would pick him up.
Marc said he stayed at Ibis Styles Canberra Eaglehawk that night after receiving a text from Milan that said: "set tight til morning".
"I assumed he was either using drugs or with his girlfriend," the statement said.
The court heard Marc tried calling Milan in the morning a number of times but could not get hold of him so he drove back to Phillip Island, assuming Milan had somehow returned there.
On November 15 he received a message from his other brother saying Milan had turned up in Canberra.
The next day Marc drove back to Canberra to pick Milan up but he was interviewed by police and did not bring him home, the statement said.
The jury previously heard that after the alleged murder, Milan is alleged to have stolen a van, and then driven to Marc Urlich’s home on Phillip Island, Victoria.
The Crown alleges the brothers then returned to Canberra where together they moved Mr Carville's body from the paddock before dumping Milan Urlich's ute at Molonglo Gorge, in Kowen Pine Forest.
The court heard police later found a branded lighter from the Westernport Hotel in the paddock.
The hotel is about 10 kilometres from Marc Urlich's house.
The ute was found on November 14 and Mr Carville's body was uncovered during a police search on November 19.
The prosecution closed its case on Friday and the defence will begin its case to the jury on Tuesday.
