GENEVA - A WOMAN who shot dead a rich French banker during a sado-masochistic sex session allegedly killed her lover because he cancelled a million dollar transfer to her account, a court heard on Tuesday.
Prosecutors in Geneva alleged that Cecile Brossard, who admits killing Edouard Stern but denies murder, was driven to commit the crime by greed.
Brossard's defence lawyers claim the million dollars had nothing to do with the killing, and that she was like a hunted animal at the banker's mercy.
Mr Stern, 50, one of France's wealthiest men whose circle of friends included President Nicolas Sarkozy, was shot in his Geneva penthouse on February 28, 2005. He was found wearing a latex suit, with two bullet holes in his head and another two in his torso.
Brossard, his 40-year-old lover, eventually confessed to the killing, but her defence maintains it was a crime of passion, and not murder as alleged by prosecutors.
Prosecutors repeatedly focused on the alleged motive for the crime on Tuesday - one million dollars transferred by the banker to his lover's account, but which he later blocked after changing his mind.
Daniel Zappelli, also representing mr Stern's family, added: 'It is not love that killed, but hate and money.'
Brossard faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of murder - but a maximum of 10 years if the jury is persuaded that it was a crime of passion.
Pascal Maurer, representing Brossard, claimed it was 'absurd to lead this crime back to the million.' Brossard underwent a series of awful experiences at Mr Stern's hands and this compelled her to kill him, the lawyer said. 'Edouard Stern is a hunter, he loves the chase... Cecile Brossard was good game, human game,' Mr Maurer said.
The defence alleges Mr Stern provoked his lover by telling her, 'A million dollars is a lot of money to pay for a whore.' A verdict on the case was expected on Wednesday. - AFP.
