Nine witnesses took the stand in the first day of the trial in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth, including the last people the Crown alleges saw Johann Morgan alive before she was killed by her then partner.

The Crown alleges Troy Jason Ruttley murdered Ms Morgan on or about August 9, 2015, and then disposed of her body which has never been found.

Michael Morgan told the jury of six men and six women that he used to speak with his mother everyday on the phone from his home in Warwick, Queensland.

He said his last phone call was a video call when he and his children spoke to her on August 9, 2015, when she had visitors at her house.

“Happy, excited, she was a bit tipsy at the time,” he said of the call.

When asked if he knew Ruttley, Mr Morgan said he knew “him and mum was together at that time”, and had known him for four or five years.

He said the next day he tried to call his mother but “the phone was switched off, and then later took to Facebook and updated his status “asking if anyone has seen mum”.

Mr Morgan said he travelled down to Tamworth to look for his mother and went through her house where he found what he thought was his mother’s phone under a bed.

“I found it, it wasn't on at the time I put it on the charger,” he told the court.

“I went through it, I found a recording of Troy and mum arguing".

Johann’s older sister Vivienne Morgan said her sister used to “always ring to say hello” but she hadn’t heard from her for almost two years.

She told the court Johann was “always telling people where she goes”, but she didn’t believe her sister was happy with Ruttley – her on-again, off-again partner.

“She was terrified, she looked over her shoulder all the time,” she told the court.

“She always looked over her shoulder.”

Stephanie Morgan, Ms Morgan’s sister, was the last person to leave the gathering at Johann’s Cole Rd home on the night of August 9.

She said she left her sister and Ruttley after finishing her drink.

"Then we left and everything was still fine,” she told the court, before breaking down in tears.

She said she returned “the next day, and she wasn't there”.

Stephanie’s son Vincent Morgan said he used to see his Aunty Johann “nearly everyday” but had not seen her since he left the house on August 9.

Defence barrister Anita Betts said Ruttley “denies that he injured Johann Morgan, he denies that he killed Johann Morgan” and “disputes that he disposed of Johann Morgan’s body” or any forensic evidence.

The trial continues before Justice Anthony Payne.