The son of a man whose headless torso was found burning on the side of a rural road near Gympie received birthday and Christmas messages from his father's email account after the remains were found but not yet identified, a court has heard.

Lindy Williams is on trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, accused of murdering her partner George Gerbic in September 2013.

She has pleaded not guilty to murder, but admitted she disposed of the 66-year-old's dismembered body on Cedar Pocket Road and set it alight.

The court heard Mr Gerbic was last seen at the Coolum football club on September 4 and his remains were discovered on September 19.

It took police 10 months to identify the body as the head and arms had been removed.

Mr Gerbic's son from a previous marriage, Simon Gerbic, told the court he got a message from Ms Williams on September 6, which said his father was sick in bed and had broken his phone.

The prosecution tendered a list of emails sent from Mr Gerbic's account to his son:

September 6, 2013 email:

"I am in bed today!! With a bad dose of the "flu", I won't be able to make any games tonight." September 14, 2013 email:

"Lindy and I have decided to go on a holiday and won't be back until February 2014. Her son and daughter in law will be staying at the house. I will keep in touch via email and skype." October 11, 2013 email:

"I have been getting rid of the white ants in the house, I had to rip up floor and skirting boards "what a job".

"We are leaving today, Cairns, Darwin and then on to Asia and Europe!!" January 28, 2014 email:

"Hi Simon, Have a wonderful birthday!! What are you doing to celebrate?"

Mr Gerbic 'occasionally hit' ex-wife, court hears

Mr Gerbic's ex-wife Cheryl Aiken also gave evidence at the trial today. She told the court he had "occasionally" hit her, and the violence happened about every six months.

Under cross-examination, defence barrister Simon Lewis showed Ms Aiken an email she sent to members of the football club where she described her ex-husband as a "bastard".

"You wrote … 'If people knew the hell I went through, he would be in prison'," Mr Lewis said.

"I tend to exaggerate," Ms Aiken replied.

"He only hit me occasionally.

"The reason I stayed with him 20 years was because he was a good person otherwise."

The trial continues.