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American nurse (Ted Maher) on trial in billionaire's death says it was an accident
Court TV ^ | AP

Posted on 11/22/2002 10:42:12 AM PST by Jalapeno

American nurse on trial in billionaire's death says it was an accident

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) — An American nurse who has confessed to setting a blaze that killed his billionaire employer said in a Monaco court Friday that he never expected the fire to rage out of control.

At the second day of his trial, Ted Maher indicated the fire was part of a bizarre plan to ingratiate himself with Edmond Safra, his wealthy employer. Safra, the founder and principal stock owner of the Republic National Bank of New York, died in the Dec. 3, 1999 blaze in his Monaco penthouse, along with Vivian Torrente, one of his private nurses.

Speaking in a monotone and looking gaunt, Maher told the court he started the blaze in a small wastebasket, expecting it to set off a fire alarm that would bring help and allow him to reap the credit for saving his employer.

"It was very stupid," Maher said. Pinching his nose and bowing his head, he added: "I will have to live with this daily for the rest of my life. ... It was a terrible accident, that's all it was. A terrible accident for which I share my part of the responsibility."

"I never wanted to hurt Safra," he said.

Maher, 44, could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of arson that led to the death of two people.

Maher testified that he started the fire, then stabbed himself -- convinced he would emerge the hero who rushed his employer to safety while fending off attackers. Safra and Torrente suffocated in the smoke-filled bathroom where they sought refuge.

Rescuers were slow in responding to the smoke alarm, Maher testified. The defense contends police stopped firefighters from entering the building, believing two intruders were still inside.

One of Maher's lawyers, Michael Griffith, claimed that Safra may also have contributed to his own death, refusing to leave the bathroom despite receiving repeated phone calls assuring him it was safe to come out.

Griffith also accused police and fire services of negligence, saying: "They got on the premises at 5:15 a.m. and didn't get into Mr. Safra's room until 7:45. It's abhorrent that two and a half hours went by and no one saved this man. These were keystone cops."

Maher at times sounded confused as he listened to the proceedings being translated from French into English. He showed flashes of anger under questioning by prosecutors.

A former Green Beret, Maher helped care for Safra, who suffered from Parkinson's disease and required around-the-clock care. He has been held in Monaco for the last three years.


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To: job; Chancellor Palpatine
But I do find it very curious, why you are so rabidly against Ted Maher.

Discovered! CP may SAY he's from Alaska, but in reality, he is a plant...a tool of the government of Monaco sent to monitor these "Free Ted Maher" threads. He's actually sitting outside a cafe typing into his laptop and laughing out loud at the same time. He's got an obnoxious, snorting, honking kind of laugh. I know this because I can see him from where I'm sitting, since I was sent by my superiors to watch him. I can't tell you why, since they've made sure not to tell me...but I'm sure it's for something big, really big...If I were you, I wouldn't try to find out, lest your passports end up disappearing.

41 posted on 11/26/2002 11:33:55 AM PST by wimpycat
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To: wimpycat
Interesting case, I had not heard about it. I found this pro-McDonald website here:

http://www.fataljustice.com/

42 posted on 11/26/2002 11:40:02 AM PST by Jalapeno
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To: Catspaw
Another warm and fuzzy "it must be an FR moment coming on" feeling.
43 posted on 11/26/2002 11:44:07 AM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: wimpycat
Not only am I sitting at a cafe, its a beatiful sunny afternoon, I'm sipping a latte, and have one of those long cigarette holders stuck in my mouth as I type, mon chere.
44 posted on 11/26/2002 11:45:47 AM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: All
Frankly, I'd like to see JimRob draft a bill up for bandwidth and send it to Ted's defense team.
45 posted on 11/26/2002 11:51:02 AM PST by Registered
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To: wimpycat; PhilDragoo
You did not address any substantive arguments, and made a joke of situation of man that may spend the rest of his life in a jail and not see his children, for something he did not do.

You missed the point of the statement. If you are so anti Ted Maher, why bother with these threads? There tens of other threads that must interest you. There are so many threads on FR that I cannot read but maybe 5 at the most during lunch hour, and still get my days work done. Yet you not only read them, you post, and post, and post. Usually, when I abhore some matter, I stay away from it. The rest of want to exchange information on the trial, and express our support for Ted's case.

So, again, I find it very curious that you spend so much time disrupting a thread you think is a waste of time. I do not think anyone is "connected," I don't give any of the disruptors that much credit. And so you will know, I believe the posts here on Ted will have no impact on the actual outcome of the case. We are exchanging information. So, if you don't like it, go read another thread. Find something that does interest you, and something that you believe in, otherwise quit disrupting this one.
46 posted on 11/26/2002 11:52:55 AM PST by job
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To: job
Look, dipwad, the man set a fire in a house. He wrote out a confession, he confessed at a public trial, and tried the defense of "I didn't mean to hurt anybody".

The meanest, baddest gangbanger in the hood would laugh at that story, and would call whoever believed it a chump - which would be you.

Give it up - your boy is going to be somebody's girlfriend a long time, and he deserves it.

47 posted on 11/26/2002 12:02:15 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: job
The rest of want to exchange information on the trial, and express our support for Ted's case.

Start your own "gulliblefools.com" website, then - because we're going to find these threads and make fun of you every time. Make sure you put up your ICQ and email addresses so that we can identify you and sell you goods and services.

48 posted on 11/26/2002 12:04:55 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: Chancellor Palpatine
I love reading about these Stupid Defenses, don't you? I mean, it's not as bad as the Twinkie defense, but it still sucks people into it by doing a good sell job.

Should we use a scoring system on them? I mean, nothing as complicated as Olympic ice skating with ordinals & all (and anyway, all the Olympic judges cheat), but I'm thinking more like Olympic diving--a base score multiplied by a degree of difficulty. Whadda think?

49 posted on 11/26/2002 12:08:37 PM PST by Catspaw
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To: Chancellor Palpatine; PhilDragoo; sinkspur; wimpycat
He wrote out a confession . . .

Did he? Prove it. Demonstrate Ted "wrote out a confession." You can't because he didn't write a confession. Your own words deconstruct your arguments. An alleged confession was typed for him in French. In French, which Ted does not read or write. Plus, as I said in my last post, if this was a transcription, where is the audio tape. The "confession" is central to your theory that he is an alleged confessor, but you don't even have that right.

You guys are trolls, either de facto or de jure. I am going to limit my responses to Ted's supporters, in private, because based on your own arguments, you are not even worthy of sparring with.
50 posted on 11/26/2002 12:12:15 PM PST by job
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To: job
Where do I "post and post and post"? I haven't posted anything on any Ted Maher thread before today.

Say, is it really true that Ted Maher is a convicted felon? How did he get in the Army if he was convicted of burglary? Or was he convicted after his stint in the Army?


51 posted on 11/26/2002 12:13:23 PM PST by wimpycat
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To: job
He confessed in open court, in front of the press, so he could say anything he wanted. He didn't even shout, "I'm being railroaded! It was a forced confession!" in front of the journalists.
52 posted on 11/26/2002 12:15:31 PM PST by wimpycat
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To: wimpycat
wrong. procedurally, under MCO law, you cannot change your confession.
53 posted on 11/26/2002 12:18:10 PM PST by job
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To: job; Chancellor Palpatine
de facto or de jure

Lookie, Chancellor--job's using them big legal words. I bet he's going sui our juris to hell & back.

54 posted on 11/26/2002 12:21:33 PM PST by Catspaw
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To: job
You can refuse to testify.
55 posted on 11/26/2002 12:22:19 PM PST by wimpycat
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To: job
You babble if you think he didn't write out a confession. I suppose it is appropriate that you continue babbling with your dippy little buddies.

I guess it is a lot easier to believe that the combined political and personal failures of your miserable lives are part of some grand plot - an all powerful conspiracy keeping you down is a lot easier than having to admit that you are losers, and you've blown your lives on your own.

56 posted on 11/26/2002 12:23:19 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: wimpycat; Catspaw
Which troll are you? De facto or de jure?

I like being a defacto troll.

57 posted on 11/26/2002 12:24:21 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: job
His own lawyer says he admits to wounding himself.
58 posted on 11/26/2002 12:24:48 PM PST by wimpycat
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To: job
Gosh, and the courageous warrior didn't take the opportunity, with the whole world looking on, to shout "I'M INNOCENT - THE CONFESSION WAS COERCED - I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING"?

Yep, such a courageous [snicker] Green Beret that one was.

59 posted on 11/26/2002 12:26:30 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: Catspaw
Yeeeeeee-haaaaaaw.

Wonder what militia that one b'longs to?

Betcha he's got a pocket Constitution well worn and handy, too. Studies it all the time so as to better channel the intent o' them Framers.

60 posted on 11/26/2002 12:28:20 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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