A former UPMC doctor who is accused of trying to kill his wife in Hawaii took the stand in his own defense on Thursday.
Gerhardt Konig is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife, Arielle Konig.
Police said that he attempted to push his wife off a hiking trail and hit her in the head with a rock on her birthday.
On Thursday, NBC News reported that he took the stand to defend those actions.
NBC said Gerhardt Konig said he was acting in self-defense.
He told the jury it was his wife who dealt the first blow, striking him in the head with a rock during a birthday hike on the Oahu trail.
Konig says he hoped the trip would help save the couple’s marriage, after he learned of what they call Arielle’s “emotional affair” with a co-worker.
Gerhardt’s Attorney Thomas Otake: “Gerhardt, did you have a plan to kill your wife on the mountain that day?”
Konig: “No.”
Otake: “Did you try to throw her off a cliff?”
Konig: “No.”
Otake: “You try to stab her with syringes?”
Konig: “No.”
Otake: “When you hit her with the rock twice, why did you do it?”
Konig: “In self-defense.”
Prosecutors pushed back in cross-examination starting with quizzing Konig about spying on his wife’s texts:
Q: “You’re mad, right?”
A: “I was not mad.”
Q: “You were not mad when you confronted your wife about these messages?”
A: “I was upset.”
Last week, Arielle testified that the encounter had nothing to do with self-defense, describing a deliberate, vengeful attack.
Jury deliberations are expected to begin early next week.
If convicted, Konig could face life behind bars.
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