One of the key questions for the jury in the Georgina Eager murder case was whether the defendant, Christopher Newman, had killed her in self-defence, or as an act of revenge or retaliation, Judge Jonathan van der Werff said at Inner London Crown Court yesterday.
Another key question was whether the amount of force Newman used was reasonable or was out of proportion to the attack she allegedly made upon him.
Summing up the case, Judge van der Werff said the jury had to decide whether Newman had used "manifestly excessive" force and gone "over the top".
The murder trial is now in its fifth week. Christopher Newman (63), also known as "Professor Saph Dean" or "David Dean", is a British citizen of Indian origin who ran an alternative medicine clinic at St Peter's Road, Walkinstown, Dublin. Georgina Eager (28), originally from Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, was his assistant and lived in a small flat next door to the clinic.
The case is being tried in the UK under legislation permitting British citizens to be tried in Britain for offences allegedly committed elsewhere.
It is common ground between prosecution and defence that, on the morning of May 22nd, 2003, Mr Newman stabbed Ms Eager to death at her flat. But the alternative therapy practitioner is claiming that he acted out of self-defence and provocation.
The jury consists of seven men and four women. A twelfth juror was discharged so that he could attend a funeral. The judge's summing-up is expected to conclude this morning.