THE man accused of murdering Tamworth mother-of-eight Johann Morgan has told a jury he didn’t hurt or kill her, but was “scared” when he initially told police he didn’t have a fight with her.
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Troy Jason Ruttley took the stand in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth on Monday and denied hurting his on-again, off-again girlfriend in August, 2015.
The court heard the pair had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for six years.
“When we were together it was good,” Ruttley told the jury. “When we had our arguments we'd just take off on one another.”
"How did you feel about her?” Defence barrister Anita Betts asked.
“I loved her," Ruttley replied.
The court heard Ruttley’s daughters’ didn’t “get on” with Ms Morgan and “they thought Johann was crazy”.
He said the recording of the argument from the night of the alleged murder – found on his phone – was “normal”.
“Nah that was normal ... she would have a few beers and then go off ... it was pretty normal,” Ruttley said.
He said she “was picking a fight” and that’s why her sister Stephanie left the Cole Rd house.
"I could tell Johann had the shits and I was talking to Stephanie,” he said, telling the jury "I wasn't fightin with no one, I just agreed with her".
Nah that was normal ... she would have a few beers and then go off ... it was pretty normal.
- Troy Jason Ruttley
When cross-examined by Crown prosecutor Bryan Rowe, Ruttley said he was sick of her.
"You were sick of this weren't you?” Mr Rowe asked.
"Yeah I did get sick of it,” Ruttley replied.
He said “the best you could do was calm her down,” and that after the argument continued he went to leave.
“I got up and went into the kitchen and was looking for me phone, it was on the charger … she wouldn't give it to me,” Ruttley said.
“She wouldn't give it to me so I told her to jam it so I walked out the front door".
Ruttley said “she was mouthin up … I gave her a bit of cheek back and she chased me up the road”, and he said that "was that the last time”.
“I didn't hurt her,” he said. “I didn't injure her."
He said he saw Zach Morgan on the nearby corner – something Mr Morgan denied on Monday.
She wouldn't give it to me so I told her to jam it so I walked out the front door.
- Troy Jason Ruttley
Ruttley, now 47, said he originally told police he didn’t have an argument with Ms Morgan because “I was scared”.
"I figured they would come back to me eventually … they would blame me," Ruttley said.
"I was scared, I didn't know what to say.”
The trial continues.
I figured they would come back to me eventually … they would blame me.
- Troy Jason Ruttley
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
