SA man on trial for mother's murder

A man charged with the murder of his mother left his fingerprint and footprints in her blood at the crime scene, a court has heard.

Wei Li has gone on trial in the Supreme Court in Adelaide over the 2011 murder of Emma Tien, 41.

Prosecutor Jim Pearce told the jury it was alleged Ms Tien was beaten with a metal rod and strangled.

He said a fingerprint from the accused was found in blood on the metal rod and Li's bloody footprints were also found in the family home, where his mother's body was left in the lounge room wrapped in bedsheets.

Ms Tien suffered 53 injuries but died from strangulation. Her body was not found for several days.

"It's alleged he (Li) compressed his mother's neck until she died," Mr Pearce said.

It was also alleged that after the killing Li, who was 18 at the time, fled first to Melbourne and then to Singapore and China.

The law student was returned to Australia in 2014 after being detained by Chinese authorities.

Mr Pearce said a metal rod was found on a table near Ms Tien's body and two fingerprints matching Li's were recovered from the rod, including one in blood that matched his right middle finger.

A towelling cord was found on top of the rod and had bloodstains and the DNA of the accused.

Mr Pearce said some facts in the case would be agreed and the trial might concentrate on the precise manner in which the woman was killed and the defendant's state of mind.

Defence counsel Kevin Borick told the jury the prosecution's opening on Wednesday was its interpretation of events.

The defence would provide its own interpretation as the trial proceeded.