The captain of the Costa Concordia has insisted his decision to delay the cruise ship's evacuation saved lives, stating he was "second only to God" on the doomed vessel.
In the dock for the first time, Francesco Schettino claimed that sounding the emergency alarm immediately would have caused the 4,299 passengers and crew to panic.
The Concordia had hit rocks off the Italian island of Giglio, and Schettino believed the ship would drift into shallower waters, making any evacuation safer.
"Had I sounded the nautical signal for abandon ship – seven long whistles and one short one – people would have thrown themselves into the water," the captain said in court.
Earlier in the day, video emerged of Schettino getting ready to leave the cruise liner, contradicting his claims that he had "tripped and stumbled into a lifeboat".
He abandoned the ship half an hour before the emergency alarm was finally sounded – with hundreds of passengers still on board. Some 32 people were killed in the disaster, leading him to he dubbed Captain Coward.
In an apparent attempt to spread the blame, Schettino claimed that decisions were made collectively, adding: "It's not like the captain is alone on a ship, it's not like I'm a truck driver."
Prosecutors are trying to depict Schettino as someone who was completely overwhelmed after the attempted "sail past", in January 2012.
The captain has insisted he was completely in control of the 115,000 tonne ship at all times, even though all of its engines were out of action.
But in a recording played to the court, one of Schettino's colleagues is heard telling him: "Water is coming in everywhere."
Schettino was also asked whether a failure to radio for tow boats, which would have helped stabilise the ship, was to save money.
"I did not put the ship before human lives. The cost I would have thought about afterwards," he said.
The disgraced captain is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.
He is being tried alone after five other defendants reached plea deals.
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