The trial of a Liverpool, N.S., man accused of murdering his fiancée saw the first half of his nine-hour police interview Wednesday.

James Leroy Leopold is charged with second-degree murder over the death of his fiancée, Laura Lee Robertson. Robertson, 47, was reported missing in April 2011 and her body was found in a wooded area off Highway 210 in Greenfield a few weeks later.

Halifax RCMP Sgt. Greg Vardy interrogated Leopold after his arrest. Vardy urged Leopold to confess and bring closure to Robertson's family. Vardy also told him to think about his grandparents, who have stood by Leopold.

Leopold rarely speaks in the interview, but appears nervous and tired. He rocks in his chair and asks for a cigarette.

Crown says tape contains confession

The Crown says the second half of the tape shows evidence of Leopold's guilt.

"The statement concludes after approximately nine hours. And certainly the last hour of the tape contains much of the important information in the Crown's view," Leigh-Ann Bryson said outside the Bridgewater provincial court.

She says Leopold admits to killing Robertson during the interrogation and that after the interview, he took police to the spot where her body was found.

Police say she was strangled and her body dumped in a remote area 25 kilometres from the apartment Leopold and Robertson shared in Liverpool.

Robertson's two adult children were in the courtroom to watch the interrogation video. The rest of the tape will be shown to the jury Monday. The defence will make its case after the Crown concludes.