A former Toronto police officer accused of killing his mistress took the stand Tuesday in his own defence.
Former Constable Richard Wills, 50, gave an emotional testimony inside a Newmarket courtroom referring to the victim, Linda Mariani, as the female version of himself.
Wills spoke of his deep love for Mariani saying, "She was a reflection of me, I love her with all my heart and I still do to this day."
He also testified of their deep commitment to each other telling the court that Mariani saved his life by discovering a cancerous lump in his chest.
The courtroom was packed with friends and relatives of Mariani, including her brother and sister-in-law. Also in attendance were two of Wills' children.
Wills is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mariani. He has pleaded not guilty in the case.
The 40-year-old mother went missing in February of 2002 and her body wasn't found until Wills surrendered to police about four months later.
Mariani's body was discovered stuffed in a garbage bin located behind a fake basement wall in Wills' suburban home.
It's expected Wills will testify that Mariani died accidentally after falling down the stairs in his residence.
An autopsy conducted shortly after Mariani's body was found indicated that she died from blunt force trauma.
The crown contends Wills killed Mariani in a jealous rage, beating her with a baseball bat and then strangling her with a skipping rope.
According to court documents filed by Wills' wife in January 2001, he and Mariani were having an affair around the time of her death. She was the best friend of Wills' wife at the time.
With a report from CTV's John Musselman
