By Lauren del Valle, CNN
(CNN) — A Virginia man on trial for allegedly killing his wife and another man told a jury how he found his wife being attacked in their bedroom and shot the man who was stabbing her.
Prosecutors say Brendan Banfield concocted an elaborate scheme to kill his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan, in their family home in February 2023. He faces life in prison if convicted on aggravated murder charges.
Banfield started testifying Wednesday afternoon about his version of events. He’s maintained his innocence, and his lawyer has accused prosecutors and investigators of manipulating evidence to suit their theory against his client.
Prosecutors put on a case over four days of testimony, telling the jury Banfield plotted with his family’s au pair to pose as his wife on a fetish website and lure Ryan to their home under the guise of having a consensual violent sexual encounter. Banfield was having an extramarital affair with the au pair at the time.
The plan, according to prosecutors, was to frame Ryan for Christine Banfield’s death and make Ryan’s killing appear to be an act of self-defense.
Banfield acknowledged his affair with Juliana Peres Magalhães that started in August 2022, but testified that he never had a plan with the au pair to get rid of his wife.
He said he made clear to Peres Magalhães that he’d had affairs in the past, and this was just another affair and that it would not change his relationship with his wife.
Banfield said that he loved his wife and they’d made a decision to stay married despite both having affairs at times during their nearly 20-year relationship.
On Thursday, Banfield also testified that he and Peres Magalhães had broken up at different times in their affair and were not actively in a relationship the day of the killings.
The morning of the killings, Banfield had an important work meeting scheduled that he testified could’ve led to a promotion. His wife, who was sitting in bed using her laptop, wished him luck before he left the house, Banfield testified Wednesday. He also said he had planned to drive to New York with his daughter to celebrate his birthday later that day.
“There was no plan with Juliana on February 24,” he said. “As far as I knew, Juliana was going to be going to the zoo” with the Banfields’ then 4-year-old daughter.
Banfield said he only learned his wife took off from work the night before. “Christine had just taken off from work, and I understood that she was going to be home,” Banfield testified. “But there was no – I didn’t know anything else at that point. I was more concerned with my day … what I had to do at my job.”
That morning, Banfield stopped at a nearby McDonald’s for breakfast after leaving the house. Earlier at trial the jury saw restaurant surveillance footage that corroborates that testimony.
Peres Magalhães called him very stressed while he was using the restroom at the fast food restaurant, Banfield testified.
He told Peres Magalhães he’d call Christine, but that call to his wife went straight to voicemail. He then called the au pair again. Banfield testified he told Peres Magalhães he’d come home and she should not go into the house alone.
On Thursday, Banfield testified he told the au pair to stay with his daughter outside while he went to investigate the house. He thought he could be walking in on his wife having an affair so he used the basement door in his backyard to avoid being heard at the front door, Banfield said.
“I believed that it was an affair that was going on at that point…doesn’t seem like an emergency for the police to be involved in,” he said.
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