Judge Jane Dixon handed down a 20 year sentence for his role in the murder with his co-accused Stuart Campbell and Lanie Snell.

The hearing, attended by family members of Joshua Kane, heard Worthy had previously been best friends with the victim,.

“Snell had known Kane since childhood and had previously lived in a caravan alongside Kane’s in a caravan park in Hamilton,” Judge Dixon said.

Kane and Snell had a falling out over the way Snell believed Kane has spoken to her children.

The court heard Worthy entered into a de facto relationship with Emily Kenny.

She had previously been in a relationship with Kane.

“Snell had a developed a hatred for Kane by the time of the murder and you had also developed animosity towards him,” Judge Dixon said.

“You had spoken ill of him on a number of occasions in the presence of others.

“Myssie Andrews and Scott Wesley also overheard you speaking with Snell about Kane in a threatening and hostile manner.”

The three first spoke about wanting rob and bash Kane, wanting to break his legs and “it kept increasing”.

“Ultimately, the three of you agreed on a plan to lure Kane into going with you on an expedition away from Hamilton for the purpose of carrying out an attack on Kane,” Judge Dixon said.

The court heard Worthy invited Kane to come on a drive the following day on January 22, 2016.

“A bit later that day, you shared some beers with Kane and his father at the Hamilton caravan park,” Judge Dixon said.

“You later told Campbell and Snell that you had invited Kane on a drive.”

On the day of the murder Worthy picked up Campbell and returned home to pick up a machete.

“Whilst there you also grabbed some plastic bags, a bottle of bleach, blue latex gloves and a change of clothes before returning to Snell’s house,” Judge Dixon said.

The court heard Worthy attacked Kane from behind with a machete at Mount Eccles National Park.

“Campbell said of you that you got the machete, like, across his chest, into the side of Joshua’s neck and repeated it twice more,” Judge Dixon said.

Worthy approached Campbell saying he couldn’t go through with the murder, trying to hand him the blood covered machete.

"The three of you returned to the car park where you were observed to be shaking, hyperventilating and panicking,” Judge Dixon said.

“Kane called out to you for help and you called back, ‘ Give me a minute. Hang on.”

Campbell said Worthy was trying to talk himself into going back there, saying “I’ve got to do it”.

Worthy went back towards Kane with Snell and Campbell heard Kane start screaming again.

“The screaming stopped and when you and Snell returned to the car park, Snell was rubbing your back,” Judge Dixon said.

“Campbell said that you appeared to be freaking out.”

When the trio attempted to leave, Snell’s car would not start and Myssie Andrews was contacted for help.

“You and Snell had both changed your clothes and you had removed your blood stained shoes before walking up to the main road and entrance to the national park,” Judge Dixon said.

On the trip back to Hamilton, Worthy was panicking about being found out for his role in Kane’s death.

The trio decided if they were caught, Campbell would take the blame since he didn’t have any children.

Judge Dixon said the three returned to the crime scenes a few times over the next day or so.

“You did not succeed in finding Kane but Campbell found Kane’s singlet and you collected Kane’s phone and keys from a ledge in the ranger’s hut,” she said.

Worthy called Kane’s mobile phone, despite knowing he was dead.

The court heard Worthy lied to Kane’s father and sister about his whereabouts.

On January 29, Andrews reported to police her suspicions that the three had been involved in Kane’s murder.

Judge Dixon said Worthy’s evidence given in court showed an unwillingness to face up to his role in the murder and the cover-up afterwards.

“Your moral culpability for the murder is substantial,” she said.

The murder was described as “brutal, calculated and senseless”.

UPDATE 2.45PM:

SAMUEL Worthy has been sentenced to 20 years prison with a minimum sentence of 16 years.

MORE TO COME

A young man who murdered his best mate with a machete at Mount Eccles National Park is due to be sentenced in Melbourne today.

Samuel Worthy, 21, attacked 20-year-old Joshua Kane from behind during a hike at Mount Eccles in January 2016.

Worthy and two friends, Lanie Snell, 35, and Stuart Campbell, 21, pleaded guilty to Mr Kane's murder.

The trio brought Mr Kane to the national park under the guise of going for a hike before he was killed on the track to Lake Surprise.

Worthy is due to be sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Jane Dixon on Tuesday.

The judge previously described the case as "unusual" as it took place in a close-knit county community and had the "thinnest" of motives.

The judge said Snell appeared to be the power behind the killing, citing a manipulative Shakespearean character.

"She's a bit like Lady Macbeth," Justice Dixon said at a pre-sentence hearing last week.

"She was perhaps standing by and encouraging (Worthy)."

Snell was jailed for at least 15 years for the murder, and prosecutors want Worthy to receive a longer term.