Wife's tearful testimony at love triangle murder trial

A woman has broken down in tears while telling a jury about efforts to find her ex-husband who was allegedly murdered by a romantic rival over 20 years ago.

Renny Palmer was the subject of affection from both her husband Jason Palmer and his friend Gofal Baziad before the love triangle turned deadly, a NSW Supreme Court jury has heard.

In the days after the 34-year-old Mr Palmer disappeared in February 2004, his wife made numerous efforts to locate him, jurors heard on Tuesday.

She called her ex-husband's drug dealer, known as Adam, and one of Baziad's friends, Ibrahim Basalamah.

Baziad, 54, originally said he had been sleeping at home the night Mr Palmer was allegedly murdered.

However, he later changed his story telling his love interest he spent the night playing cards at Mr Basalamah's home.

"Ibrahim said Jason had wanted to go to his place but hadn't made it," Ms Palmer told the jury on Tuesday through a Bahasa interpreter.

Ms Palmer also tried speaking to one of her husband's friends, called his parents in England and filed a missing person's report with police.

In describing her efforts to locate her ex-husband, she broke down in tears in the witness box and was allowed to go home after a full day of questioning.

Earlier on Tuesday, she said Baziad had come into her bedroom a night or two after Mr Palmer disappeared.

He told her he loved her, removed her clothes and the two had sex, the jury heard.

Another time during that same period, he tried to calm down Ms Palmer over the phone, the court was told.

"He said 'well perhaps Jason had gone to a nightclub and might have been drunk and slept at a friend's place'," Ms Palmer testified.

Mr Palmer suddenly disappeared on February 6, 2004.

The two men had been seen chatting and smoking on the balcony of Ms Palmer's home in Sydney's southwest before leaving together late that night.

Baziad has pleaded not guilty to murdering his romantic rival in a fit of jealousy in the hours following.

Ms Palmer testified Baziad had been late collecting her for work the day after the alleged murder.

She felt unwell on the drive and asked to turn back.

Baziad also said he was sick and the pair decided to go back to their respective homes, the jury heard.

That afternoon, he picked up Ms Palmer and took her to dance training at the Indonesian consulate.

Two days after he vanished, she went with Baziad to Mr Palmer's rental apartment, the jury heard.

While there, she noticed the interior of his home was messy, as if no one had slept there.

Ms Palmer separated from her then ex-husband in 2002 after he had an affair, she earlier told the court.

However, she reconciled with him in December 2003 after being asked to choose between the two men.

Despite her decision, Baziad still thought of himself as her boyfriend, she testified.

He compared her relationship with Mr Palmer to glass.

"Even if it was put together again then it would still be broken," he reportedly said.

Ms Palmer testified that Baziad told her he had to clean and move out of his unit the day after her husband disappeared.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC previously told the jury that Baziad had bludgeoned Mr Palmer over the head with a glass object in the apartment before stabbing him multiple times in the torso, side and back.

The 34-year-old's body was found by recreational canoeists concealed in a sleeping bag and weighed down with rocks in the Nepean River in Sydney's west 23 days after he vanished.

The trial continues on Wednesday.