'Latex' Banker's Murder Trial Begins

According to press reports at the time of the murder, Stern was discovered wearing a condom-like flesh-coloured latex bodysuit, having been shot by Ms Brossard, who is believed to sometimes have played the part of a leather-clad dominatrix and shared the banker's passion for sadomasochistic sex games. Ms Brossard has confessed to the murder, which is believed to have followed an argument over a $1m sum Stern is said to have promised to give her.

Stern is said to have been executed Clockwork Orange-style, with two bullets to the head, one to the chest and one to the base of the back. According to The Times newspaper, the former call girl told the investigating judge: 'I pointed my weapon at his face and fired the first shot. The weapon must have been six inches from his face. I think I hit him between the eyes....He got up, turned halfway round on himself and fell. I fired another round at his head'.

Ms Brossard claimed that her crime was one of passion and not premeditated. She left a fingerprint on Stern's latex body suit and did not attempt to conceal her presence at the apartment from security cameras. She flew to Australia immediately after the murder, but returned to Switzerland four days later. Swiss judges reduced the charges against her to an unpremeditated killing. Depending on the length of sentence she gets, Ms Brossard could be free-at-large again as early as next year.