An alleged sadomasochist accused of murdering a Highland police officer has told a court the man was at his flat for “the purpose of having fun”.
Stefano Brizzi, 50, allegedly strangled Constable Gordon Semple, 59 and originally from Inverness, after arranging a sex session at his home in south London via gay dating app Grindr on April 1.
The Italian denies murdering the officer but has admitted obstructing a coroner by disposing of the body.
Asked by Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC, defending, if he deliberately killed Pc Semple, Brizzi replied: “No.”
Asked if he had any intention of causing him harm, he said: “None whatsoever.”
Sitting in the witness box at the Old Bailey, Brizzi was asked why Pc Semple was at his flat.
He said: “For the purpose of having fun. For the purpose of a casual sexual encounter.”
Ms Bennett-Jenkins asked Brizzi if he accepted that he dismembered and destroyed Pc Semple’s body and, appearing to cry, he said: “Yes I do.”
Wearing a lilac-coloured shirt and glasses, Brizzi told the court that he had become addicted to crystal meth and quit his job at Morgan Stanley in 2015.
Describing himself as a “highly skilled professional”, Brizzi said he lived off his savings while trying to solve his addiction problems.
Brizzi, who said taking crystal meth made him “extremely horny”, explained to the jury what the “chemsex scene” is.
“It means an environment where people have a lot of casual sexual encounters,” he said, adding that they usually take place in private homes and people take drugs to heighten sexual arousal.
The court has previously heard that Brizzi was said to be “obsessed” with US drama Breaking Bad.
The jury was told that the main character, chemistry teacher Walter White, produced crystal meth and, after poisoning a rival, dissolved the body in acid.
Ms Bennett-Jenkins asked Brizzi if he was a fan of Breaking Bad. “Well, yes I was a fan,” he replied, but added that he was also a fan of many other TV shows including Heroes and House Of Cards.
He said that in his efforts to recover from addiction, one tip he had received was to start a TV series as a way to substitute the “dangerous addiction” with another one.
The jury heard that on the day of the alleged incident, Brizzi and Pc Semple took drugs together and engaged in sexual activity.
Brizzi said they were “a bit high and intoxicated”, adding that the activity taking place was “nothing violent at all”.
The trial continues today.