Photo: ikiryo/123RF
The senior French doctor standing trial for shooting dead his neighbour in New Caledonia has denied having planned a homicide.
Olivier Peres, who oversaw the orthopaedic department at Noumea's public hospital, gunned down Eric Martinez on a golf course with three shots four years ago.
He said he fired the third shot from close range to avoid being killed by Martinez, who was found to have a knife in his pocket.
Peres said Martinez, who had been the lover of his wife, had threatened his family and boasted that as a member of French military commando, he had killed people, including children.
The court heard however that Martinez didn't belong to any such unit.
Days before the killing, Peres and his wife had contacted the police, expressing fear after undue pressure from Martinez, whom Peres described in court as a narcissistic pervert.
Police searches after the killing found four firearms at Peres' home and more than a dozen at the victim's house.
29 witnesses have been called for the trial, which is expected to last five days.
If found guilty, Peres could face a life sentence.
Last month, he published a book about the incident, called 'The Devil Exists'.
While on remand, the accused likened the conditions in prison to those of a death camp or concentration camp, and he secured home detention, allowing him to appear in court in court this week as a free man.