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DETROIT - Bob Bashara in his own words.
The Grosse Pointe Park man convicted of arranging his wife's murder testified today for the first time, it is part of his fight for a new trial.
He claims he had no reason to kill Jane and is accusing his attorneys of failing to do their jobs.
VIDEO: To watch all of Thursday's testimony, CLICK HERE.
Bashara took the opportunity to defend himself on the stand and what he says, "get the truth out." But prosecutors claim he kept flip-flopping on what the truth is.
Attorney: "Did you have anything to do with your wife's murder?"
Bashara: "I did not."
Known as "Master Bob," 57-year-old Bob Bashara was convicted of arranging his wife's murder. He testified Thursday in a hearing to determine if he will get a new trial..
"I've asked my attorney several times to put me on the stand," Bashara said. "And their response was if you go on the stand you would be convicted."
Bashara wants his murder conviction and life sentence from 2014 thrown out, because he says his defense team botched his case. He called it "corrupted" also, by Grosse Pointe Park Police and the media.
"The prosecution hammered me," he said. "And belittled me and blackened my eyes, that I was a sadist, that I was an evil dark person."
"There's no way I could've gotten a fair trial in southeast Michigan."
Attorney: "Why did you think that?
"Simply because of the brood of vipers we call the media," Bashara said.
Jane Bashara was found strangled to death in 2012 inside her Mercedes-Benz in Detroit, not far from their Grosse Pointe Park home. Bashara, who blames their lack of passion on medical issues, admits to having several mistresses within the BDSM community and lying to police about an affair.
"My mind was mush," he said. "And I said no. And the reason is, because in my mind it wasn't an affair."
Prosecutors say Bashara paid handyman Joe Gentz, who has since been convicted of second degree murder, $2,000 to kill her.
Bashara testified that he loved his wife and their life together.
"I felt it was my duty as her husband to avenge her death," Bashara said.
Calling Gentz a violent man with no control over his emotions, Bashara admits to planning to have Gentz killed.
Attorney: "Did you pay him money for the hit or did you not?"
"I paid him money for the hit," Bashara said. "But then ..."
Attorney: "Thank you."
But Bashara says he later changed his mind on following through and reiterated that he had nothing to do with his wife's murder.
Bashara claims that his wife knew of his involvement in the BDSM community and that she told him that she was okay with it. He also named a list of witnesses who were never called to the stand.
On that list includes Dennis Gentz, Joe Gentz's brother and a neighbor of Joe Gentz as well as a woman he knew well that saw him at a bar a few hours before Jane was found killed.
Bashara is expected to continue his testimony Friday.