Victor Jamieson saw his neighbour Noel Ingham for the last time near the end of July 2016, he told the Burnie Supreme Court on Monday.
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On that date, he told the court, he saw Mr Ingham get in the passenger seat of his own Jeep Cherokee before being driven away by the man now on trial for his murder, Darren Ward Gale.
Jurors heard Mr Gale returned to Colac Court in West Ulverstone, where all three men lived, about three hours later.
Mr Gale was alone, and Mr Jamieson told the court he never saw Mr Ingham, or his two white bichon frise dogs, again.
The remains of two small dogs would be found in Dulverton bushland alongside Mr Ingham's burnt out Jeep Cherokee about four months later.
The remains of Mr Ingham's decapitated corpse would be found buried in a clandestine grave about one kilometre away two weeks later on November 22, 2016.
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In the weeks that followed Mr Jamieson seeing Mr Ingham for the last time, he watched as Mr Gale appeared to "take up residence" in the Colac Court unit, he told the court.
Mr Jamieson said on each bin day Mr Gale would put the bins to the curb overfilled with rubbish, and much of the unit's furniture was moved out.
On Monday another neighbour from the Colac Court cul-de-sac told the jury she asked Mr Gale about Mr Ingham during that time, and he told her Mr Ingham was in Hobart for medical reasons and he was putting the furniture in storage.
At 11.30pm on July 29, 2016 Mr Gale was pulled over for a random breath test by Senior Constable Troy Dean at Eastlands Drive, Ulverstone.
He was driving a Jeep Cherokee, Senior Constable Dean told the court Monday, and he was alone.
Mr Ingham had not yet been reported missing, and the court heard Mr Gale said the car belonged to "a mate".
Senior Constable Dean said he smelt alcohol on Mr Gale, and Mr Gale said he had been drinking since about 10am that morning.
At the station, Mr Gale returned a blood alcohol reading of .125, the court heard.
Senior Constable Dean said Mr Gale was charged with drink driving and returned to Ulverstone, but Mr Gale asked to be dropped off two streets from home as he did not want his neighbours to see him being dropped home by police.
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