NORWICH — Despite saying he did not want to take the stand in his own defense in Chenango County Court Wednesday, alleged murderer Ganesh R. Ramsaran opted to testify Thursday.

Ramsaran provided the jurors some of his personal background, telling them he was born Amsterdam in the Netherlands and moved to the Bronx in New York at the age of 12.

The defendant recalled his high school years playing various sports, including football, lacrosse and wrestling. Based on his shorter stature, he said he had to play with no fear and show that he could perform with the larger or taller athletes.

This is when he said he acquired various nicknames: G-man, G, Captain G-man and #1 were some that the defendant recalled. His favorite, he said, was Psycho. “I was the smallest out there. I was always playing hard,” said Ramsaran. He said he owns jackets with the nickname embroidered on them, jackets he said Jennifer Ramsaran wore “all the time.”

Ramsaran was charged by the government with second degree murder for allegedly killing his wife, Jennifer Ramsaran.

He said the nickname just stuck, and when asked by his defense attorney Gilberto Garcia if he had ever been violent or charged with assault or a domestic violence charge, Ramsaran said no.

Ramsaran explained to the jury how he met, and later fell in love with Jennifer. He provided a synopsis of their relationship and why they moved their family to New York from Arizona in 2006. The defendant said he and Jennifer purchased their New Berlin home because the Unadilla Valley Central School was a “fantastic school,” and the two have three children.

Throughout Ramsaran’s testimony, McBride objected incessantly, often being sustained by Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr.

Garcia asked his client if he was nervous.

“Extremely,” said Ramsaran. “I’m here fighting for my life.”

Garcia, McBride, and Revoir all told Ramsaran at various points — in different manners — to quiet down and answer only the question asked. McBride’s questions came in the form of objections, stating that Ramsaran was not directly responding to the question and was continuing to talk after the answers were said. The defendant was reminded multiple times that he is not allowed to say what anyone has ever told him; he can only testify as to what he himself said, did, or felt (if deemed relevant by the court).

Garcia tried to calm his client as he was visibly emotional a number of times and began speaking out of turn.

“Are you a person who talks more than he should?” asked Garcia.

“Absolutely,” said Ramsaran after apologizing to the jury for continuing to speak after answering the previous question — a question that was related to the duties of his employment.

Ramsaran discussed various vacations the family took in the year 2012. Some trips included the “whole family,” which he said included Eileen Sayles and her children. Ramsaran has admitted numerous times to having an affair with Sayles, the victim’s best friend.

“I should have never had the affair,” said Ramsaran. “It should have been done differently.”

Asked Garcia, “Did you lie to your wife?”

“Absolutely,” said Ramsaran. “Yes I did. I felt very guilty.”

The defendant testified that he did not treat Jennifer any differently as a result of having the affair. He said he treated her the way he always had.

“I loved her, and I always will,” Ramsaran said. “I loved them both.”

Ramsaran recalled that he and Sayles broke up and got back together a number of times throughout their affair. He said that he and Sayles had gotten back together, and he told the jury he realized that if he was going to be with Sayles, he would need to get a divorce.

Ramsaran said he spoke to Jennifer about divorce the first week in July, 2012. According to the defendant, the discussion resulted in an argument about Jennifer’s usage of her iPod Touch.

Defense counsel asked why Ramsaran wanted a divorce. “She wasn’t the same person,” Ramsaran said. “I know I wasn’t.”

The defendant said he brought up divorce on three occasions and each time, it resulted in an argument.

“Did you ever tell your wife the truth about your affair? Did you tell Jennifer you loved someone else?” asked Garcia.

Said Ramsaran, “I did not.”

“I loved (Sayles). I loved Jennifer. We all had a great relationship,” said Ramsaran. “Jen started to change. And yes, I changed over the years.”

Ramsaran said Jennifer began pulling away from him and the children, and that she began looking at different homes for sale in New Berlin. He said he was blindsided and upset when he learned Jennifer was looking at different houses.

According to Ramsaran, Jennifer stopped doing laundry and housework, and in April, 2012, she began spending an “extreme amount of time” on her iPod touch. Prior testimony said Jennifer used the game she played on the device to converse with men worldwide.

While he did not file divorce papers, Ramsaran said he discussed wanting a divorce from Jennifer to a handful of people. He said he told them whatever Jennifer wanted from him from the divorce was fine, and he would accommodate her wishes.

Garcia then had Ramsaran begin with the morning of Dec. 11, 2012, and narrate everything he did the day his wife disappeared.

Ramsaran said he saw Jennifer come out of the master bedroom at approximately 8:50 a.m. that morning.

“It was not your knowledge she was dead?” asked Garcia.

“Not even close,” said Ramsaran. “My wife was not dead.”

More than once during questioning, Ramsaran testified, “I did not kill my wife.”

Garcia asked his client to go minute-by-minute or event-by-event from the morning of Dec. 11, 2012 — including what or if Ramsaran ate, slept, watched TV, interacted with his children, took the children to school, or used his phone.

Ramsaran recalled the morning of Jennifer’s disappearance and said she kissed him on the cheek before leaving the house. He said he was unsure of whether he responded to a work email before or after Jennifer left, but the email was sent at 10:53 a.m. He testified that she left the house between 10 and 11 a.m.