The Skopje-born defendant accused of murdering 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki in Crete has given investigators a detailed account of his actions, describing the killing, the alleged attempt to cover it up and the transport of the victim’s body to a field.

In his testimony, the defendant first referred to the relationship he claimed to have had with Leventaki over the past few years. He said there had been an arrangement between them under which she could visit the house every six months to carry out an inspection.

He claimed their relationship had often been tense because Leventaki frequently commented on the condition of the property and had even blamed him for rust that had appeared on the cabinet hinges.

Referring to the day of the killing, he said that on 30 May Leventaki called to say she would be visiting the house. According to his testimony, she arrived at around 4.20pm and entered without him having to open the door.

The defendant claimed he offered her a beer, from which she took only a few sips, before she began inspecting the rooms. He said she took photos of the kitchen cabinets and complained about rust and other signs of wear.

According to his account, her behaviour irritated him and a heated argument followed. He claimed that Leventaki attacked him and then fell, hitting her head.

“I saw blood flowing. She started screaming, and then I lost my head. I hit her on the head with the bottle and thought I’d get in trouble over some crazy woman,” he reportedly told investigators.

The defendant then described how the victim began losing consciousness. He said he took tape from a drawer and tried to seal her mouth.

“I wrapped it around her mouth twice. She was trying to pull it off with her hands. I kept going and wrapped the tape around her mouth one more time. She stopped moving,” he said.

He claimed he believed she was dead and walked towards the kitchen in an attempt to calm down. A few minutes later, however, he said he heard her regaining consciousness.

“I heard her wake up. Angry, I returned to the room with a kitchen knife. She was lying on her side. I approached her and stabbed her twice in the heart,” he reportedly testified.

According to his account, he then returned to the kitchen, washed the knife and threw it away, although he said he could not remember where. A short time later, he said he heard Leventaki screaming again.

“I heard her say, ‘Help, can anyone hear me?’” he testified.

He then allegedly took a log from the fireplace and struck her twice on the head while she was lying on the floor.

“She didn’t speak again after that,” he said.

The defendant estimated that the attack took place between 5pm and 5.15pm. He said the blood found at the scene came from the victim’s injuries.

He then testified that he saw two bank cards next to her, along with the PIN codes. He claimed he went to an ATM in Mournies, near Chania, and withdrew money.

“I did it because I wanted it to look like a robbery,” he reportedly said.

Describing what happened next, he said he returned to the house, where there was blood everywhere. He went to the storage area, took bags and plastic ties, bound Leventaki’s hands and feet, carried her body to the balcony and placed it inside the bags.

“I started mopping, constantly changing the water. I added air freshener and bleach, but there was a lot of blood,” he said.

According to his statement, he cleaned the house, collected the broken glass and the log, and at 9pm made a video call to his wife. After the call ended, he continued cleaning.

He said that at around 10pm he went out in his car, threw away the victim’s mobile phone and bank cards, and then withdrew more money.

He then returned home and continued cleaning until midnight.

“I couldn’t sleep. I smoked a joint and thought about where to take the body without getting caught by police,” he testified.

Eventually, he said, he decided to take the body to a field where he had been working. At around 6am, he went to the site, dug for about 20 minutes and used a construction wheelbarrow to move the body.

“I covered it with plenty of soil, and at 8am I returned home, where I cleaned up the last traces of blood,” he reportedly stated.

In the final part of his testimony, the defendant attempted to link his actions partly to his occasional cannabis use.

“I believe that because I am an occasional cannabis user and had smoked a joint that day, that is the reason why all of this happened. I never thought I would do anything bad,” he reportedly said.

He concluded by apologising to the victim’s relatives.

“I apologise to Stavroula’s family,” he said.