Anthony Colin Finnegan appealed against both his murder conviction and sentence before the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Finnegan is serving 21 years' jail for the December 2016 murder of Peter John Fitzgerald.

The 56-year-old was stomped to death at his Summerhill unit by Finnegan after a night of drinking.

Chief Justice Alan Blow told the Hobart Supreme Court on Thursday the court would be dismissing the appeal.

Chief Justice Blow said Finnegan's conviction had not been a miscarriage of justice and his sentence was not manifestly excessive.

He said the bench would publish its reasons as soon as possible.

During the appeal hearing, Finnegan's lawyer Mai Truong argued two other men who were at the scene of the crime should also be held responsible for the murder.

"Mr Finnegan is a scapegoat of the other culprits who were not dealt with," Ms Truong said.

"There is injustice in this scenario."

Ms Truong questioned the actions of Cameron Tattersall, who was drinking with Finnegan and the victim in the hours before the murder.

Mr Tattersall gave evidence in Finnegan's trial he saw the appellant kick and stomp the victim's head.

"Why didn't he block this attack further?" Ms Truong said.

"Do you think this is a reasonable response to watch his friend kick and stomp [the victim] to death?

"Mr Tattersall was sitting there watching [it] like a movie. He could have rung the police on the spot."

Ms Truong said her client could not have moved Mr Fitzgerald's body from the laundry, where the assault took place, into another room because Finnegan was intoxicated by alcohol and methamphetamine and he was on crutches due to having a broken leg.

"He's not Hulk Hogan. He's not WWF (World Wrestling Federation). He's not some gladiator," she said.

She said someone else in the house must have moved the victim.

"It seems to me that someone is lying," she said.

Because Finnegan was intoxicated when he assaulted the victim, Ms Truong told the court he could not be found guilty of murder because he was lacking 'mens rea', a legal term referring to the knowledge of wrongdoing which constitutes part of a crime.

"The appellant did not intend to kill his friend in his alcohol-fuelled rage," she said.

"He is very remorseful of his actions towards the victim because they were friends."

A new report by Finnegan's counsellor referring to his mental health issues and difficult childhood was not accepted by the court.

"In our view it adds nothing significant to the information provided to the learned sentencing judge as to the unfortunate events Mr Finnegan experienced in his early days," Chief Justice Blow said.

Ms Truong said her client's previous lawyer Greg Richardson had failed to raise Finnegan's history of mental health difficulties as a mitigating factor during the trial.

Chief Justice Blow said it appeared to him Mr Richardson had "done a good job."

"Not a good enough job because my client is in jail for a long time," Ms Truong responded.

Crown prosecutor Jackie Hartnett was not required to make submissions.