A man who allegedly murdered, burned and then buried a young father over a $3000 gun debt managed to avoid detection for several years until his former partner informed police, a Perth court has heard.  Aaron Raymond Craig, 45, is accused of murdering 25-year-old Bradley Hoddy and dumping his body in a pine forest in mid-2006.  Mr Hoddy was presumed missing for several years until 2014 when Craig's former partner told police what she knew, the West Australian Supreme Court heard on Monday.  Prosecutor Justin Whalley told the jury two other men were also involved in Mr Hoddy's murder, which was over a dispute about the sale of a gun.  He said Mr Hoddy was forced into the back of a van and tied up before being driven to the pine forest.  The victim claimed to have bikie connections and threatened his abductors, saying bikies were going to string them up, the court heard.  Mr Whalley said it was at that point Craig realised Mr Hoddy had to die.  Mr Hoddy was later begging for his life when Craig allegedly told him: "If you believe in God, then now is the time to make peace."  The court heard Mr Hoddy was then struck on the back of the head, set on fire and buried.  Mr Whalley said Craig later moved on with his life, got married, had children and moved interstate.  He said Craig told his wife what had happened, but she was unsure about the truthfulness of his story.  However after their marriage broke down, the woman saw a news report about Mr Hoddy and decided to tell police what she knew, Mr Whalley said.  The court heard the woman helped police by secretly recording conversations with Craig.  But defence counsel Jonathan Davies said the state's case was based on speculation and claimed it was the "sole and impulsive act" of one of the other men that killed Mr Hoddy.  He said his client never intended for Mr Hoddy to be seriously harmed, and only wanted to scare him to teach him a lesson.  Mr Davies asked the jury to consider why Craig's former partner sat on the information she had allegedly been told for several years, suggesting there was a custody dispute and she wanted Craig permanently out of their children's lives.  Mr Hoddy's body has never been found.
Lawyers for a man accused of murdering a man over a gun debt in Western Australia have told a Perth court another person was responsible for the killing.