A man has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for his role in the deaths of two people whose bodies were found locked in a large metal toolbox and submerged in a dam south of Brisbane.

Iuliana Triscaru and Cory Breton’s bodies were discovered in February, 2016 at Kingston, more than two weeks after they were last seen alive.

Webbstar Latu, 36, was originally charged with two counts of murder but last week pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter in the Supreme Court in Brisbane.

Latu is one of several people charged over the deaths following a police investigation.

The court heard in January, 2016 Ms Triscaru and Mr Breton were lured to a unit, tortured for hours, then forced into a toolbox.

The toolbox was then placed onto the back of a ute and driven to a lagoon at Kingston, where it was submerged.

Justice David Boddice said he accepted Latu was not involved in bringing the victims to the unit or physically harming them, but that his offending was still “significant”.

“Whilst at that unit and whilst obviously aware that these people were being held against their will in circumstances, where they had sustained significant injuries, you were involved in, first of all, carrying a toolbox into the unit and subsequently carrying the toolbox out knowing that those two people had been placed into that toolbox,” Justice Boddice said.

“You also assisted the others involved in this despicable behaviour by cleaning up the unit and by driving one of the motor vehicles away.

“It should be noted however there is not a suggestion that you went to the lagoon or that you were involved in the final acts which led to the deaths of these two people.”

Defence barrister Stephen Kissick told the court his client had fallen out with his family prior to the offending and had been using drugs.

Latu, who has spent more than 1700 days in custody, will have to serve at least 80 per cent of his sentence.

-ABC