The Crown began its cross-examination of Mark Stobbe at his murder trial on Friday, with the former government employee becoming emotional on the stand.

Stobbe broke down in tears when telling court about the moment that he found out his wife Beverly Rowbotham was killed in the backyard of their St. Andrews home.

"It was confirmation of my worst fears. It meant I was 50 to 60 feet away when she was killed. What it means is I should have been able to stop it," testified Stobbe.

The Crown alleges Stobbe killed his wife while their sons slept, placed her body in her car and drove it to a parking lot in Selkirk, before bicycling 15 kilometres home.

Stobbe has testified he was at home while Rowbotham went grocery shopping in Selkirk in October 2000 and never saw her again. He has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Crown attorney Wendy Dawson suggested during cross-examination that Stobbe added about 20 new details since giving his initial statement to police almost a dozen years ago following his wife's death in October 2000.

Stobbe said he was in a state of shock after his wife's body was found but did the best he could to help officers investigate the case.

"I was doing the best I could then, and I'm doing the best I can now," Stobbe told the Crown.

The Crown asked Stobbe about his work history and finances, specifically how he paid for his wife's engagement and wedding rings.

Court heard Stobbe didn't make a claim for the $7,000 diamond ring. The Crown alleges it's because he removed it from Rowbotham's finger after killing her.

The Crown also questioned Stobbe about his relationship with Rowbotham and their decision at one point to seek marriage counseling. Stobbe said they had occasional tiffs but added their biggest argument came before they were even married. Stobbe said they needed outside help. He testified it signified their desire to stay together and work things out.

Stobbe is expected to return to the stand in court when the trial resumes on March 12.

- with a report from CTV's Ina Sidhu and files from The Canadian Press