The daughter of Johann Morgan broke down in tears in the witness box in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon as the jury heard a secret recording of her mother and Troy Jason Ruttley arguing on the night the Crown alleges she was killed. Her body has never been found.

Tamika Morgan, along with other members of Ms Morgan’s family in the Tamworth courtroom were visibly distraught as the recording – which lasted less than two minutes and was found on Ruttley’s phone – was played in court.

Johann Morgan – a mother-of-eight – was heard yelling at Ruttley that his family didn’t want them together, and were putting her down.

“Your ******* kids don’t want me with ya,” Ms Morgan is heard to say, adding she was “sick of people talking about me”.

Ruttley is heard on the recording telling his then on-again, off-again partner that “I love you”.

“I want ya … I love ya,” he’s heard on the recording, which was found on his phone under a bed in Ms Morgan’s Cole Rd house in August, 2015.

Tyrone Brown was staying at a house across the road and told the court he remembered a party at Ms Morgan’s house in August, and in a statement to police said “the banging and smashing got louder” and went on for five minutes.

He said he recalled “people arguing” but it was dark and he couldn’t see much.

Mark Morgan, a nephew of Johann, told the court she seemed happy when he dropped into her house on August 8.

“Troy Ruttley told you at one time he loved Johann Morgan, didn’t he?” defence barrister Anita Betts asked.

“Yes, he did,” Mr Morgan replied.

Several of Ms Morgan’s siblings as well as her children gave evidence in the trial on Wednesday, telling the court they had not heard from her since she disappeared in August, 2015.

The trial continues.