The mother of a young woman who was killed by her boyfriend struggled to hold back tears as she described losing the light of her life.
Jordan Miller, 21, has pleaded not guilty in Newcastle Supreme Court to murdering Emerald Wardle, 18, in her home at Metford, near Maitland in 2020.
The fact that Mr Miller killed Ms Wardle isn't in dispute, but his mental state at the time is to be established.
Mr Miller strangled Ms Wardle, telling a triple-0 operator and police on the morning of her death that he'd "killed a demon who was sucking the life out of him".
Ms Wardle's mother, Tania Simshauser, tearfully told the court on Tuesday her daughter was "the light of my life".
Her first impression of her daughter's new boyfriend, Mr Miller, was that "he was a lovely young man, well spoken and respectful, an intelligent, passive, gentle giant".
She said Mr Miller's regular use of cannabis became noticeable but his decision to take the drug LSD prompted Ms Simshauser to warn him "if you or anyone else gives my daughter LSD, I will cut your throat".
Mr Miller's mum, Lynette Miller, also gave evidence at the trial.
She said her son had never been an aggressive or violent person and that she was unaware of his drug use.
She said she had noticed some uncharacteristic behaviours in her son in the months leading up to the killing such as him being argumentative and receiving traffic fines for speeding.
Miller, a university student who'd held down a steady part-time job, had admitted to using LSD days before he killed Ms Wardle at a house on Galway Crescent in the early hours of June 20, 2020.
The prosecution has said a drug-induced psychotic episode led to Mr Miller's actions, but his defence counsel said underlying chronic schizophrenia affected Miller's understanding of what he was doing.
The trial, set down for two weeks, will also hear evidence from medical and psychiatric experts.
