A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing an acquaintance 19 times and burning his body three years ago.

A Supreme Court jury in Brisbane convicted Lawrence Keith Carlton of murdering Michael Peter Klaassen, who was found in a shallow grave in bushland at Logan in September 2013.

The burnt body of Mr Klaassen, 26, was found with 19 stab wounds, and a cut to his throat had severed his carotid artery, a vein and incised his larynx.

The jury was told the victim had strapped a number of knives to his leg and was travelling in a car with several acquaintances on the night of his death.

It was shown a video of Carlton's police interview after his arrest, in which he described how Mr Klaassen was killed.

"When he stepped out of the vehicle ... he dropped the knife. I picked it up and asked him what it was and asked him if he had another one and he got me in my right finger," Carlton said.

"Just from a nervous reaction from me, I retaliated with the knife that I had in my person, because he dropped it.

"It resulted in him receiving a few fatal wounds at that time. I understood at that time there was no coming back from it."

The victim's father, Peter Klaassen, spoke to reporters outside court. ( ABC News: Jack Gramenz )

Carlton pleaded guilty to interfering with a corpse but not guilty to murder.

The court heard he had a history of prescription and illegal drug abuse, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.

Prosecutor Belinda Merrin argued that Carlton killed Mr Klaassen intentionally.

"He stabbed him a number of other times ... 13 small stab wounds on the back left of his neck," she said.



In sentencing Carlton to life behind bars, Justice James Douglas described the murder as "particularly horrible".

He ordered the 26-year-old to serve a mandatory non-parole period of 20 years.

Outside court, the victim's father, Peter Klaassen, said he was relieved at the trial's outcome.

"We had a good result today, we got what we wanted, a guilty verdict," Mr Klaassen said.

"Just want to thank everyone for their interest and now we can move on with our lives."