Javier LV (photo), who is accused of the premeditated murder of his Colombian-born wife at their home in Cabezón de la Sal (Cantabria) last May, is claiming that he is unable to remember what happened because he had consumed 3g of cocaine and drunk alcohol earlier the same day.

On the first day of his trial in Santander yesterday, the defendant - who admits manslaughter, but faces a fourteen-year custodial term if convicted of murder - told the court that he went to pick up his wife from the restaurant where she worked at around 7pm, and they decided to have a quiet night in because "she was very tired."

He then said that, after dinner, they retired to the bedroom to watch a film in bed, "the last thing I remember is that we were in bed watching the TV. I don't remember anything else, and the next thing I knew, I was on the sofa and my sister was waking me up asking me what I had done," continued Javier, who also told the court that he regrets his wife's death and still loves her.

The defendant, who admits taking cocaine regularly for the last 20 years, also said that he never thought that his addiction "might one day lead him to kill someone."