A MAN who burned his friend alive for drinking his beers was a different person and in shock after the attack, a Darwin court has heard.

Gary Stewart Miles has pleaded not guilty to murdering Paul John Stamp, 47, on September 19 last year.

The men had been drinking at home when Mr Stamp was warned not to take any of Miles' remaining beers.

He drank the last four, and when this was discovered Miles and his friend Gregory Channing beat him, breaking eight ribs and causing extensive internal injuries.

They dragged him into the car boot and drove out to an industrial area, where they planned to "teach him a lesson'' by dumping him to find his own way home.

But the car ran out of petrol and when the pair returned with fuel, Miles allegedly poured it all over the car and ignited it.

Channing was found guilty in September of assaulting Mr Stamp and depriving him of liberty, and is serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence.

Channing told the Northern Territory's Supreme Court on Tuesday that Miles snapped when they returned to the car, shouting "I'm going to kill this c---'' as he doused it in petrol.

Miles was shocked by what he'd done, Channing said.

"You could tell by the way he was, he was a different person. Upset, like he couldn't believe what happened, like it didn't happen but it did.''

But defence counsel Jon Tippett QC accused Channing of setting the car alight because he hadn't liked Stamp, who had been disrespectful and commented on Channing's girlfriend's breasts.

"You were the person who came up with the plan, weren't you, because this man Stamp really pissed you off,'' Mr Tippett alleged.

Channing agreed but denied starting the fire, during which he was burned.

He previously told the court that Miles initiated the beating and paid for the fuel but under cross-examination said he had paid for it, as Miles didn't have his wallet.

"So none of this would have happened without you,'' Mr Tippett said.

Channing said Miles had blamed the incident on him.

"I had just got my shit together, had a job, doing good and he came in and f----- my life up,'' he said.

The trial continues.

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