A policeman tied up his wife with handcuffs before luring her tattoo artist lover to the family home, where he shot him dead.

Military Police officer Giovanni de Oliveira Camarte was arrested by police in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on 2nd December.

He had turned himself accompanied by lawyers in after being identified by his wife as the killer of muscled tattoo artist Douglas Braga.

Douglas, 32, had gone missing after leaving his home in Rio de Janeiro on 9th November.

Camarte’s wife – not named – told police she was in the process of separating from her husband at the time and that she had been having an affair with Douglas for at least eight months.

She told police her husband had lured the tattoo artist to their home in Nova Iguacu in the early hours of 10th November.

Before luring him to their home, Camarte had handcuffed his wife, taped her feet together, and locked her in a room.

She said she had managed to free herself and had then seen how Camarte had gone to speak to Douglas through the driver-side window before shooting him at least three times.

He had then driven his body to an area of scrubland in Nova Iguacu and set his car alight.

Following his arrest, Camarte led police to the spot where he had dumped the victim’s body.

Local media reported that Camarte had sustained second-degree burns to his arms and legs while setting the vehicle on fire.

He had apparently needed to roll on the ground to put out the flames.

He had then gone to hospital in Rio de Janeiro, claiming he had attempted suicide.

He had remained in hospital for at least six days before being discharged.

Police are now working to corroborate his wife’s version of events, as another version given by the friend who had taken Camarte to hospital is said to differ.

The friend is claiming that Camarte shot Douglas four times after a fight.

Camarte has confessed to the crime to police but is claiming self-defence.

Police chief Ellen Souto told local media that police will investigate if “someone could have helped him”.