Brisbane financial planner denies murdering client

A Brisbane financial planner has admitted killing and dumping the body of a mental health counsellor who was his client, but denies he is a murderer.

Trung The Ma has pleaded not guilty to murdering 63-year-old Hugo Bonham in February 2014.

Prosecutors rejected his guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Ma has also admitted interfering with Mr Bonham's corpse.

Mr Bonham, a former Lifeline counsellor, was a long-time client of Brisbane Money Management, which Ma co-owned and operated from Indooroopilly in Brisbane's west.

After buying a house in the Gold Coast hinterland, Mr Bonham found he could not access money that was being managed by Ma, the Crown has alleged in opening submissions.

In the following days, Mr Bonham failed to attend a meeting with real estate agents and was reported missing.

The prosecution alleges Ma attempted to cover up the alleged murder by telling colleagues his relationship with Mr Bonham was "back on track" and acting surprised by news of his disappearance.

He allegedly said he was meeting with bankers at the time Mr Bonham was believed to have been killed.

But footage played to the jury by the Crown purportedly shows Ma buying two large containers from Bunnings in the time around Mr Bonham's death on February 3.

The eight-day trial in Brisbane Supreme Court, starting Tuesday, continues.

AAP

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