Tennis Dad: 'I Completely Lost Reason'

A French father accused of drugging his children's tennis rivals described being gripped by panic and anguish as his devotion to their success spun out of hand — so far, prosecutors say, that it led to one player's death.

Judges expect to reach a verdict Thursday in the trial of former military pilot Christophe Fauviau in Mont-de-Marsan in southwestern France. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of unintentionally causing a death by administering toxic substances.

In tearful testimony, Fauviau asked the parents of the victim, 25-year-old school teacher Alexandre Lagardere, for forgiveness.

"It's something that completely took me over, and I couldn't imagine that I could be responsible for the death of your son," he told the court last week. "I never wanted things to come out like this."

He recalled disputes with the French Tennis League, whom he accused of not paying enough attention to his daughter Valentine's "enormous potential." The 16-year-old is considered a rising star in French tennis.

"Each match was a terrible anguish," he said. He said he began taking the anti-anxiety drug Temesta, which he allegedly used against his children's opponents.

"I completely lost reason. I took Temesta myself. To put it in the bottles became a habit that I wasn't aware of. I never considered that in doing this I could hurt someone," he said.

Fauviau is accused of drugging his children's opponents 27 times in tournaments across France from 2000 to 2003, using Temesta, which can cause drowsiness.

The opponents complained to investigators of various ills: weak knees, dizziness, nausea or fainting. Several were hospitalized.

In July 2003, Fauviau's son Maxime defeated Lagardere, who complained of fatigue after the match and slept for two hours. While driving home, Lagardere crashed his car and died, and police believe he fell asleep at the wheel. Toxicology tests showed traces of Temesta in his system, allegedly delivered by Fauviau.

Valentine Fauviau cast doubt on the accusations against her father.

"Tired girls, yes, I saw them. But nothing more than that," she told the court, according to French newspapers. "I never needed anyone to help me win."

Her brother was more blunt.

"He blew a gasket and didn't calculate all the consequences. He's too involved in tennis," Maxime Fauviau told the court, according to Le Parisien.

Fauviau's wife, Catherine, said she had no idea whether he was involved in drugging players.

"If I had, it would have been suitcases or the psychiatrist," she was quoted in Le Parisien as saying.

Fauviau, a former helicopter pilot instructor for the French army, has been in custody pending trial since his arrest in August 2003.