A man on trial for the murder of a homeless man in the Phoenix Park allegedly said he would batter and torture him because he had money.

The trial earlier heard he was carrying a blow torch and a hammer the day before the body was found.

Gerard Donnelly was beaten to death and set alight at an unknown time between November 28 and November 29 2013.

A toe on his left foot had been amputated.

An acquaintance Eamonn Flynn gave evidence that a lot of people would've known Gerard Donnelly had money but Ciaran Moran was the only person who expressed how to get it - by battering and torturing the 36 year old.

The jury heard the accused bought a bicycle, Dre beats and a new phone on the day the body was discovered and told a friend he'd got money from his father dying.

Ciaran Moran formerly of Camden Hall, Camden Street, Dublin 2 was also homeless at the time and denies his murder.

In the days before Mr. Donnelly’s death, a witness said he overheard the accused “slagging” him about a “substantial amount of cash” he had on him.

The jurors have already heard Mr. Donnelly had over €140,000 in an EBS account.