The wife recounts the struggle on the cliff during Konig’s trial for intentional mu:rder: Most notably, there’s one detail that no one knew before

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The wife of a Maui doctor accused of trying to kill her took the stand Tuesday — exactly one year to the day after the attack, testifying on her birthday — in his attempted murder trial, describing a violent confrontation during a hike on Oahu.

Nuclear engineer Arielle Konig testified she and her husband, anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig, were hiking the Pali Puka Trail when he allegedly grabbed her by the arms and pushed her toward a cliff, less than 10 feet away.

She said she believed their relationship had been improving after what she described as an emotional affair with a married co-worker.

“He grabbed me really forcefully by my upper arms. He said, ‘I’m so f****** sick of this s***, get back over there,’ and he starts pushing me back toward the cliff,” Konig testified.

She told jurors her husband then tried to stab her with a syringe, but she knocked it away. Konig said he then struck her multiple times in the head with a rock, which she believed was an attempt to force her over the edge.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Thomas Otake challenged her account and pressed her on details, including how the syringe and vial were held during the struggle and how forcefully she was hit.

“I don’t know that I used those exact words, but he used the rock to hit me and it was my impression that he used his full force,” Konig said in response to questioning about whether she had previously described being hit “10 times.”

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A physician from Queen’s Medical Center also testified about Konig’s injuries, telling the court she suffered crushed tissue down to the skull and had small pieces of rock embedded in her skin.

The doctor also identified graphic photos showing her head covered in blood, as well as an injury to her hand. He said he could not determine how many times she was struck and testified her brain function appeared normal.

Later, Konig testified she told her personal doctor she suffered a traumatic brain injury.

The trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday and Friday.