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Topics: Crime, US News, News, World News
Rhianna Benson
A Hawaii anaesthesiologist has been found guilty of attempting to push his wife off a cliff.
Gerhardt Konig appeared in court in Honolulu on Wednesday (8 Apr), where he claimed to have acted in self-defence when he dragged his partner to a steep cliff edge and attempted to stab her with a syringe before bashing her head with a rock.
The horror unfolded in March of last year, when the couple had been enjoying a hike on the Pali Puka trail during a weekend trip for Arielle Konig's birthday.
Arielle, a nuclear engineer, sustained numerous serious injuries in the attack, photographs of which were shown in court this week.
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Her husband fled the scene after a number of onlookers rushed to the 37-year-old's aid and called 911, having heard her terrified screams for help.
She told police upon their arrival that she believed Garhardt had attempted to kill her.
Appearing in court for the high-profile trial, Arielle testified against her husband, claiming he'd dragged her to the edge of a steep cliff before trying to inject her with an unknown substance.
She claimed she'd thrown herself to the ground in a bid to avoid the cliff edge, as well as bit Gerhardt's forearm and squeezed his testicles.
Her stepson, Emile Konig, also took the stand last month (31 March), testifying against his father. He claimed Gerhardt had called him after the attack, informing him he'd 'tried to kill' his step-mother, but that Arielle had 'gotten away'.
Emile recalled 'the defendant' insisting he planned to jump off the cliff afterwards.
A responding officer and a hiker, both of whom had witnessed the attack, also appeared in court.
Gerhardt, who pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, insisted in court that he'd acted in self-defence last year.
He claimed that Arielle had hit him with a rock first after he confronted her about an affair she'd allegedly been having. He admitted to opening her phone while she slept and had obtained evidence of her infidelity.
Arielle admitted to an 'emotional affair' in court, having sent flirty texts to a co-worker.
Despite this, a jury convicted the medic of attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance - a term that carries a maximum sentence of over 20 years.
Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm later released a statement (obtained by PEOPLE) which read: "I want to thank the jurors, the survivor, the independent witnesses at the scene who helped her, the investigators of the Honolulu Police Department, and the determined, thorough, and at all times professional work by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joel Garner.
"It's a good day for the good guys."
Gerhardt is awaiting sentencing at O'ahu Community Correctional Centre.
Ariella has since filed for divorce.