The lover and children of convicted murderer Colin Bouwer still believe he is innocent of his wife's murder.
Bouwer, aged 51, a psychiatrist, was convicted last week of poisoning 47-year-old Annette Bouwer by giving her drugs that replicated the symptoms of a rare tumour. Mrs Bouwer died at the couple's Dunedin home on January 5 last year.
At the trial in the High Court at Christchurch, the Crown said a passionate affair with psychiatrist Anne Walsh was part of Bouwer's motive for murder.
In an interview on TV3's 20/20 programme last night, Dr Walsh denied the affair started in Copenhagen and said they did not sleep together until after Mrs Bouwer died.
"Yes, it did develop into something very special," she said.
Mrs Bouwer had always been "happy" with her friendship with Bouwer.
"She saw me as trustworthy."
Dr Walsh was adamant Bouwer did not kill his wife.
"He did not murder his wife and he is not a cold, calculating murderer. He's a very gentle man."
Bouwer's children, Greg, aged 17, and Anthea, 15, were equally convinced of their father's innocence.
Dr Walsh and the Bouwer children believed Mrs Bouwer committed suicide. Greg Bouwer said there was no doubt his mother took her own life.
After a hospital stay, she had told her children that they were doing well without her and she wondered why she was there.
Anthea Bouwer said her mother hated being sick and had said she wanted to go into a home or die.
Dr Walsh rejected the suggestion she had been duped by Bouwer.
"I know him. I have been there with him ... I may be quiet and I may be not widely experienced in the ways of the world but I know people," she said. She is now the Bouwer children's guardian.
Meanwhile, the children said Bouwer's other son, Colin Bouwer junior - awaiting trial in South Africa for the murder of his own wife - was adopted by Bouwer.
- NZPA
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