The gruesome murder of 72-year-old John Hunter has left a lasting impact on him.
Mr Hunter was found dead by a friend inside his Dimboola home in western Victoria on January 23, 2023, after three days of no contact.
Thomas Clarke, 57, who appeared before the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday for a plea hearing, has admitted Mr Hunter's murder.
Mr Brown said he and Mr Hunter had "clicked from day one", bonding over their shared experiences living with depression and anxiety.
"I lost not just a friend but a much-needed support," Mr Brown said in a statement to the court.
He still feels guilty he was not there to help his close friend in his time of need.
"He may have not had much time left, but this murder robbed John and I of what time we could've shared together," he said.
The 72-year-old had been living at his home for less than six months and required an oxygen pump to help breathe while undergoing lung disease treatment.
Clarke had been drinking on January 20, when he ended up at Mr Hunter's home demanding money.
He used a hammer to deliver blows to Mr Hunter's head, killing him in the kitchen and dining room before his body was dragged into a spare bedroom, prosecutor Briana Goding said.
A box cutter was used to carve into Mr Hunter's body, his eyes were gouged out and his penis and scrotum were amputated.
His body was found covered in a bunched-up curtain with the box cutter entwined inside and a T-shirt pulled over his head.
A jury trial in December acquitted Jodie Hill, who was charged alongside Clarke with Mr Hunter's murder. She denied taking part in the attack.
Defence barrister Sharon Lacey SC on Thursday detailed Clarke's complex life, which involved disadvantage, systemic discrimination, intergenerational trauma and his history of mostly non-violent offending.
"This offence is not simply an escalation. It is ... a slowly unfolding mental health crisis," she said.
The defence contended Clarke's life was marred by sexual abuse as a child and poverty, a head injury that forced him to stop working and homelessness following a marriage collapse.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Rajan Darjee said Clarke was diagnosed with a personality disorder and complex PTSD.
"With stability and not taking substances, things can go relatively well but it doesn't take much for things to fall apart because underneath he is very fragile," Dr Darjee told the court.
Ms Lacey urged the judge to show mercy, stating Clarke had reflected on his actions and shown remorse.
The prosecution said the case was a brutal murder of a deeply loved man in his home, which continues to affect Mr Hunter's friends and family.
Ms Goding cautioned against his rehabilitation prospects which depended on him abstaining from alcohol and illicit drugs upon release.
Justice Jane Dixon described the entire ordeal as a "tragedy" and will sentence Clarke at a later date.
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