At the six-day long murder trial there was a large number of security guards at Skellefteå District Court as well as a dozen employees from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service transport department (each defendant had three officers around them every time they were being transported).
In many ways it is a historic legal case in Skellefteå criminal history that on Friday reached its conclusion in Skellefteå District Court (it is a guarantee that there will be a continuation in the Umeå Court of Appeal).
The gross violence, the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, the fact that the four defendants are part of a ”family constellation”, that close relatives have borne witness against family members and that the conclusion is life imprisonment for one of the defendants – are some of the factors contributing to this legal case being unique, sensational and serious.
It was just over two weeks ago – at 21:00 on Thursday evening of June 29 – that the message came from Skellefteå District Court after an hour-long private deliberation: the four defendants in the Malå murder trial are still suspected of the murder with probable cause and they shall remain in custody awaiting sentencing.
The decision was a clear indication that there would be convictions. If the evidence had been weak, one or several of the defendants would have been released immediately. However, there were still questions regarding exactly what the crime classifications would be.
Prosecutor Andreas Nyberg, who led the preliminary investigation and submitted the prosecution on June 9 had secondary petitions for two of the defendants: the 50-year-old man (instigation of murder and gross protection of a criminal) as well as the 40-year-old woman (gross protection of a criminal).
After a four-month long preliminary investigation the prosecutor Andreas Nyberg charged the four locals on Friday June 9 – and on Friday the convictions were announced.
On Friday Skellefteå District Court announced the convictions.
The 50-year-old man:
He was charged with murder, alternatively instigation of murder or gross protection of a criminal. He is convicted of the latter crime, the sanction being one year and six months imprisonment.
But the court was not unanimous. Two of the lay judges were of the opinion that the evidence is sufficient for the 50-year-old to be sentenced for instigation of murder.
It is highlighted in the judgment that it, according to the two lay judges, is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the 50-year-old through his threatening statements which, according to the prosecutor, ”reinforced or upheld” the other three’s decision to kill the 30-year-old in such a ”decisive manner”, has had ”punishable psychological influence”.
The two lay judges also say that he has shown intent in relation to ”the concrete act”, that is the murder that the three others committed of the 30-year-old victim. He shall therefore be sentenced for instigation of murder, in their opinion. But the third lay judge who is also the presiding judge did not agree and the 50-year-old was therefore not convicted of instigation of murder.
The 20-year-old defendant – here on his way into the court room in Skellefteå – is the only one of the defendants to be sentenced to life imprisonment for the violent act in Malå the night between February 12 and 13.
The 40-year-old woman:
She is sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for the murder, she therefore does not get a life sentence.
The 20-year-old man:
He is sentenced to life imprisonment.
The teenage boy who is under 18:
He is convicted of the stabbing. Due to his young age, under 18, the sanction was 3.5 years institutional care of young persons.
Update:
The counsel for an injured party Linda Sundlöf tells Norran:
– I have been in contact with the family and they are largely happy with the judgment, they were aware that the evidence against the 50-year-old was uncertain, that is, whether he could be convicted of murder. However, it is our perception that he should be convicted of instigation of murder, but the court was unanimous there which is why he was acquitted. The sanctions for the three people convicted of the murder were expected, where the 20-year-old who got life imprisonment had the most active role and was the one who inflicted most of the stab wounds.
The counsel for an injured party Linda Sundlöf, here on her way into the first day in court, commented on the reactions of the victim’s family now when the three defendants are also convicted of the murder.
What does the victim’s mother and siblings say and feel today after all the grief, despair and anger – and after the agonising six day trial?
– They feel relief that there are now three people convicted of the crime and a fourth for participation. That shows that the evidence was sufficient for murder convictions for those three. The family wanted those who committed the crime to be held responsible, they have no other interest than those guilty being convicted and that it is correct judicially. Furthermore they are aware that this court case will be examined in the court of appeal. We will now discuss whether we will appeal certain sections of the judgment.
During the trial, the murder victim’s mother got to talk about the shock, grief and sense of loss after the senseless act of violence towards the son.
– I cannot understand how there can be so many tears, she said.