Members of the media queue up in front of the courthouse where the trial of Danish inventor Peter Madsen, charged with murdering and dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine begins, in Copenhagen, Thursday, March 8, 2018. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau via AP)

COPENHAGEN - The Latest on the murder trial of Danish inventor Peter Madsen (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

The Danish inventor accused of murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall on his private submarine has given a Copenhagen court an account of how she died in an accident.

Peter Madsen described Thursday how he couldn't open the submarine's hatches to reach Wall amid a pressure problem inside the submarine during a trip the pair took in August. He said he found Wall "lifeless" when he finally managed to open the hatches.

He said he tried to give her first aid but stopped because it was impossible to stay inside. "There was a risk of having a submarine with two deaths," he told the court.

Madsen denies murdering the 30-year-old journalist, but has admitted to dismembering her body and disposing it at sea.

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2:15 p.m.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen has testified to a court that Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who died during a trip on his submarine, "had a wonderful evening until it ended in an accident," but denied that any sexual activity had taken place between them.

Madsen was standing trial Thursday in Copenhagen for murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse. He denies murder but has admitted to dismembering the 30-year-old's body and disposing of it at sea.

Sporting a dark t-shirt, jeans and blue sneakers, Madsen was well-spoken and answered the questions of prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen thoroughly.

Wall's body parts were found on the shore of Copenhagen and at sea after she disappeared in August.

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1:40 p.m.

The Danish inventor accused of murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall on his private submarine has reiterated to a court his claim that Wall died accidentally.

Questioned Thursday during the first day of his trial, Peter Madsen said he had offered shifting explanations for Wall's death because "I didn't wish to share with the whole world how Kim Wall died."

Madsen initially told authorities he had dropped Wall off on an Copenhagen island several hours into their submarine trip in August. Then he said that Wall died accidentally inside the submarine while he was on deck during the excursion — a claim he repeated Thursday. He did not elaborate.

He has admitted to dismembering Wall's body and throwing it into the sea.

Wall's torso was found on a southern Copenhagen shoreline in late August. Her head, legs and clothes were discovered in bags at sea in October and November, along with heavy metal objects designed to take them to the ocean floor.

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1:10 p.m.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen, accused of murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall on a private submarine trip in August, has told a court he was "in total denial of what had happened" when he told officials over the radio that he had let Swedish journalist Kim Wall disembark on a Copenhagen island.

Madsen, 47, is accused of torturing and murdering Wall and dismembering and disposing of her body during a submarine trip last summer. The inventor, who denies the murder charges but admitted to cutting up her body, had initially maintained that Wall disembarked from the submarine several hours into their trip.

His defence lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, urged the court to listen to the facts presented during his trial, not those presented in the media.

"What has been my client's intent? Did he intend to kill Kim Wall?" she asked. "We do not have a cause of death, making it pretty muddy."

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12 noon

Jakob Buch-Jepsen, the prosecutor in the Danish murder trial of inventor Peter Madsen, says a psychiatric report of the 47-year-old Dane has concluded that he is an intelligent man "with psychopathic tendencies" who has "no empathy or feelings of guilt."

Madsen is on trial Thursday in Copenhagen accused of tying up and torturing Swedish reporter Kim Wall before he either cut her throat or strangled her during a trip on his private submarine in August.

The prosecutor said the cause of Wall's death has not been established. But he said Wall's blood was found on the military-style bodysuit that Madsen wore when he was arrested, and he also said that detectives found videos and texts about killing women on Madsen's laptop and an external hard drive.

Buch-Jepsen also showed the court underpants and pantyhoses — both damaged — and pieces of hair.

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11:05 a.m.

Danish submarine builder Peter Madsen, who is accused of murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall, has listened quietly with his fists closed as the prosecutor described in detail how her body parts of were found on the ocean bed.

Wall's parents were also present Thursday on the opening of the trial against Madsen at Copenhagen City Court as prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen explained the findings at the bottom of the Oresund waterway between Copenhagen and southern Sweden.

The court showed a drawing of the multiple stabs to Wall's torso to members of the court, but did not display them to other people present.

Madsen is accused of killing Wall on his home-made submarine, dismembering her and disposing of her body in the water during a trip on the sub in August last year.

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10:35 a.m.

The prosecutor in the Danish murder trial of inventor Peter Madsen says Madsen's submarine was submerged for several hours on the fatal night when journalist Kim Wall disappeared, was invisible to radar and didn't immediately respond to attempts to make radio contact.

When reached over radio — the audio file was played to the Copenhagen City Court Thursday — Madsen said he had let Wall off on Refshale island several hours into the trip.

Madsen also said over the radio that there were no injured persons on board but only technical problems. Shortly after, Madsen reported "man overboard" over the radio. He was picked up alone.

After he was arrested on land, forensic experts found dried blood on Madsen's nose, "blood that eventually was proven to belong to Kim Wall," said prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen.

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9:45 a.m.

The trial has started of Danish inventor Peter Madsen, accused of tying up, torturing and murdering Swedish reporter Kim Wall during a trip on his private submarine in August.

Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen started the 12-day trial by reading the charges while Madsen, wearing glasses and a dark shirt, watched the prosecutor from his seat beside his defence lawyer.

The defence lawyer, Betaina Hald Engmark, then formally entered a not-guilty please to the murder charge.

Madsen claims Wall died accidentally inside the submarine while he was on deck during the excursion. He has admitted throwing her body parts into the sea.

The prosecution claims Wall's murder was premeditated because Madsen brought along tools he normally didn't take when sailing.

The trial at Copenhagen's City Court is due to run until April 25.

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9:15 a.m.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen stands accused of tying up and torturing Swedish reporter Kim Wall before he either cut her throat or strangled her during a trip on his private submarine in August.

Madsen, 47, whose trial starts Thursday in Copenhagen, is charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse for the way he disposed of Wall's body.

Madsen has denied murder. His defence lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, told TV2 Thursday that he maintains she died accidentally inside the submarine. He has admitted throwing her body parts into the sea.

The prosecution claims Wall's murder was premeditated because Madsen brought along tools he normally didn't take when sailing.

The trial at Copenhagen's City Court ends April. 25.

News from © The Associated Press, 2018