Mr Purkiss, of Elderslie, is jointly charged with the murder of Risdon Vale tattooist Dwayne Robert Davies.

He is facing trial in the Hobart Supreme Court alongside Mr Davies' wife, Margaret Anne Otto, of Risdon Vale, for the alleged murder and both have pleaded not guilty.

The Crown allege Mr Purkiss and Ms Otto planned the murder together.

Mr Davies was last seen on May 26, 2017, and his body was found in Levendale just over a week later.

Mr Davies' 22-year-old son Brady Davies told the court on Tuesday Mr Purkiss said there had been an altercation between himself and the victim on the night he was last seen.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard evidence Mr Davies had gone to visit Mr Purkiss at Elderslie to view a pair of motorcycles.

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Mr Brady Davies said Mr Purkiss claimed his father would have a broken nose and two black eyes because of the fight.

"[He said] Dad was sobbing, crying," Mr Brady Davies said.

"He said [Dad] took off [in the car] like a maniac and almost hit the fence post on the way out."

Mr Brady Davies said later that night he had a heated discussion with Mr Purkiss.

Mr Brady Davies said the two were in the shed at his parent's Risdon Vale house and he asked Mr Purkiss if he knew where his father was.

"There was a real long pause like out of a movie and he said 'yeah I don't know mate'," he said.

Mr Brady Davies told the court Mr Purkiss then said "if I ever see him again I'll bash him and tell him to f--- off and never come back".

A longtime friend of Ms Otto, Michelle Peck, told the court she called the police to report Mr Davies missing just before midnight on May 27, 2017.

Ms Peck said she had spent that day with Ms Otto and stayed at her home overnight.

The court heard Ms Peck, Ms Otto and Mr Davies' sister Kelly Goss waited five hours for Mr Purkiss to arrive at Ms Otto's residence that night before calling police.

"He was the last person to have seen Dwayne and we wanted to know what his last moves were so that we could give that information to police," Ms Peck said.

Ms Peck said Mr Purkiss was "excitable" and "talking very fast".

"I found it very hard to keep track of the story. It was all over the show to me," Ms Peck said.

Ms Peck said she was told of the alleged fight between Mr Purkiss and Mr Davies and Mr Purkiss showed her his hands which were covered in cuts.

"He [said he] knew [Mr Davies] treated Marg terribly. He said he knew what happened behind closed doors," she said.

"He said if Brady had been his son he would have treated him a lot better."

Mr Purkiss said he was a "master manipulator" multiple times in the following days, Ms Peck said.

"It was a bit of a competition between him and Dwayne about who was a better manipulator," Ms Peck said.

Ms Peck said Mr Davies would also brag about his ability to manipulate others.

Ms Peck said she thought Ms Otto had wanted to leave Mr Davies but she didn't know how.

"They had their ups and downs," Ms Peck said.

Ms Peck said Mr Davies repeatedly said if their marriage did not improve by the time one or both of them turned 50 years old, he would "allow" Ms Otto to leave.

"Marg had said to me before that Dwayne had said to her if things kept going the way there were she would have to leave him," Ms Peck said.

"Dwayne has been saying this sort of stuff since I've known him."

The trial before Chief Justice Alan Blow continues.