The mistress nanny who testified in opposition to her former flame, ex-IRS agent Brendan Banfield, was mendacity when she informed jurors he killed his spouse in an elaborate kink-heavy body job plot, the protection argued earlier than deliberations started Friday.
The jurors in a court docket in Fairfax, Virginia, now must resolve whether or not Brendan Banfield stabbed his spouse Christine and shot a stranger, Joe Ryan, whom he deliberate to pin the slaying on.
However first, the panelists heard closing arguments from Banfield’s lawyer, John Carroll, who informed them the testimony of the Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, couldn’t be trusted and that cops had their minds made up from the beginning – that the murders have been a part of a “catfish” scheme.
“Juliana made it up,” Carroll stated. “She informed the commonwealth what they needed to listen to.”
“She informed this mislead safe herself a deal that benefited her,” the protection lawyer argued. “She was a pawn in attempting to get to my consumer.”
“Her total story has been purchased and paid for,” Carroll, stated the cost being her freedom and the chance to promote her story for a documentary.
Carroll additionally stated Banfield didn’t shrink back from admitting the dangerous issues he did when he testified to jurors Thursday, together with admitting having a number of affairs – all of which exhibits he was telling the reality when he claimed he wasn’t responsible for the double homicide.
“My consumer doesn’t must testify.” Carroll stated. “But, he will get up there and says he’s a philanderer. He had affairs … he informed you, girls and gents, precisely what was happening and precisely the way it went.”
In the meantime, prosecutor Jenna Sands stated her workplace had all of the “uncontradicted proof” they wanted to show Banfield’s guilt — even with out Peres Magalhães’ damning testimony.
Sands additionally informed jurors to not purchase Banfield’s claims on the stand that the Brazilian au pair was the driving power behind the affair and that it was some informal dalliance.
“He was in love with Juliana,” Sands stated. “He can faux this was a fling … He was afraid of dropping her. He wanted to eliminate his spouse so that they may very well be collectively, so they might get married, so they might have kids collectively.”
Sands claimed that Banfield, 40, a former particular agent with the federal tax authority, carried out the slayings mere months after beginning up the tryst with the nanny of the couple’s solely baby.
And the dishonest husband deliberate an elaborate plot the place he opened an account on a fetish website, posing as Christine, and arranging for Ryan to assist his spouse play out her supposed need for a rape fantasy, prosecutors stated.
So on Feb. 24, 2023, Ryan got here to the Banfields’ in Herndon, Virginia, armed with a knife to enact the wicked sex-session with Christine – a former sexual assault nurse who thought she was really being raped.
The nanny, sitting in a automotive exterior the house with the Banfield’s 4-year-old daughter, known as Banfield, telling him of an intruder to arrange their narrative with proof. So Banfield rushed dwelling and shot Ryan along with his service weapon to make it seem as if he’d valiantly saved his spouse, Sands stated.
Banfield then stabbed Christine within the neck a number of instances – all whereas their little woman was left unattended within the basement, Sands stated.
Banfield has maintained his innocence.
Jurors are tasked with deciding three expenses: aggravated homicide, a weapons cost tied to the homicide and endangering his daughter.
The nanny pleaded responsible and is anticipated to be let off with a sentence of time-served as a part of a cope with prosecutors for her cooperation and testimony. She is slated to be sentenced a while after Banfield’s trial concludes.
