London, England (CNN) -- The defense lawyer for a Saudi prince charged with killing his aide admitted Monday that his client had committed the crime but disputed the prosecution's contention that he had done so willfully.
Prince Saud Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Saud is on trial at London's Central Criminal Court in the death of Bandar Abdulaziz in a London hotel room in February. He did not take the stand in his own defense.
Barrister John Kelsey-Fry gave his client's side of the story for the first time in the two-week trial, telling the jury during his closing argument that the "parts that really matter" -- the evidence -- were not in dispute. Al Saud, he said, "must live with the consequences" of having killed Abdulaziz, but he never intended to harm him.
The jury hearing the case is tasked with deciding whether it is a case of murder or manslaughter. To do that, jurors must first determine the prince's state of mind and his intent at the time he killed Abdulaziz.
Abdulaziz died after a severe beating left him with swelling and bruising of the brain and fractured ribs and neck. He also had bite marks on his face, ears and arm.
The two men were in London earlier this year as Al Saud took in Morocco, the Maldives and other European cities on a long global holiday with Abdulaziz as his companion.
CNN
