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RICHMOND, Va. — <\/span>A man testified on Wednesday that he loved his wife and did not want to end his marriage, despite having an affair with his family’s au pair in what would become a sprawling double homicide case centered around the two of them.<\/p>\n Wearing a gray suit and a plaid tie, Brendan Banfield testified in a Fairfax, Virginia, court under oath about what happened the day he began cheating on his late wife, Christine Banfield, with Juliana Peres Magalh\u00e3es in what he said was a casual affair. He described Magalh\u00e3es scooting her chair closer to his while eating dinner one night, while his wife was out of town. He testified that she followed him into his room at bedtime, and he didn’t stop her. <\/p>\n But Banfield testified he and Magalh\u00e3es did not plot to kill his wife and another man in the months that followed, despite what prosecutors suggest<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that it\u2019s an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious, that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,\u201d he testified. \u201cThat is absolutely crazy.\u201d <\/p>\n Banfield is charged with aggravated murder<\/a> in the killings of his wife and Joe Ryan. His testimony will be a key piece of evidence that a northern Virginia jury will be tasked with weighing this month. Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty, could face life in prison if convicted by his peers.<\/p>\n Prosecutors say Banfield and Magalh\u00e3es lured Ryan to their house. According to officials, the two then shot him, and Banfield stabbed his wife, staging the scene to look as though Ryan had been a predator stabbing Christine Banfield.<\/p>\n One of the witnesses who corroborates prosecutors\u2019 theory is Magalh\u00e3es herself.<\/p>\n Earlier in January, Magalh\u00e3es testified that she and Banfield had created an account in Christine Banfield\u2019s name on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. There, Ryan connected with the account, and the users made plans to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.<\/p>\n She testified to Banfield\u2019s plan to kill his wife<\/a> and live his life with Magalh\u00e3es after they began their affair, plotting for months their ruse.<\/p>\n Banfield testified that the au pair\u2019s omission to officials was a lie, saying \u201cthere was no plan.\u201d He also said that both he and his wife had affairs throughout the course of their 19-year relationship, but decided through couples therapy to continue their marriage.<\/p>\n His testimony comes as John Carroll, Banfield\u2019s attorney, spent much of the trial scrutinizing Magalh\u00e3es’ motives in the case. The former au pair was initially charged with second-degree murder in Ryan\u2019s killing, but has since pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge<\/a>. <\/p>\n For instance, Magalh\u00e3es didn’t remember who created the email address connected to the social media account and where she and Brendan Banfield were on the day it had been procured. She testified that she did not remember who wrote what messages to Ryan. And she admitted under oath to negotiating with a true-crime author and producers to share her story for money.<\/p>\n On the stand, Banfield spoke of his relationship with his wife, describing them as inseparable despite the affair. \u201cWe were together the entire time. We didn\u2019t break up at any point,\u201d Banfield said.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you love your wife?\u201d Carroll asked at one point.<\/p>\n \u201cVery much,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cDid you want to continue your marriage with your wife?\u201d his attorney said.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n