“I was afraid he was going to kill me”. Much different. Her entire testimony is pretty much fear based.
she has to say that because the legally justifiable reason “immediately necessary” she took off the table when she admitted she had many other options she could have chosen but did not.
I don't think it's much different. Most people would feel fear in that situation. "he was going to kill me" is the important part here. Of course, she is playing up the fear for the courtroom.