One of the murder suspects are led into the court room in Skellefteå District Court. The trial has been delayed due to some very long examinations but the proceedings could potentially be concluded on Thursday afternoon/evening.
After a few days of intermission the trial of the Malå murder on the night between February 12 and 13 was resumed.
Four individuals – a teenage boy, a 20-year-old man, a 50-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman – are charged for participation in the murder of a man in his 30s.
The prosecutor has previously described how the four people charged are members of a family constellation and that there is a clear motive of revenge. The accused claim that the murder victim had previously subjected one of the murder suspects and another person to violations.
The fifth day in court started around nine in the morning on Wednesday.
As early as lunch time, due to long witness examinations, it was evident that time will be an issue if the schedule is to be kept.
The plan is for the closing speeches in the matter of guilt and sanctions to be concluded on Thursday afternoon but the question is whether this is possible.
The closing speeches will be very dramatic, not least if prosecutor Linnea Hedström will petition for life-time imprisonment for one or more of the defendants.
As regards the four witnesses summoned on the Wednesday, it must be unique in Swedish judicial history that so many relatives are asked to testify in a murder trial – and that their testimonies in different ways tie close relatives to the scene of the crime.
The teenage boy charged with murder: here his father, mother and a sibling were summoned to testify to what the boy has said about the event. It was through contact with the police – where the parents first made the call – that the boy wanted to confess to his involvement, that he had stabbed the victim once and that he then left the residence (he admits to aggravated assault).
The 20-year-old man and 40-year-old woman: here a sibling was summoned to testify on the Wednesday. This sibling contacted the police in May and said that the 20-year-old, in connection with a visit, talked about their participation in the murder of the 30-year-old man in February in Malå. In addition, the 40-year-old woman is the witness’ mother and the witness also ties their mother to the scene of the murder.
The police’s image shows how the teenage boy (dressed in green) was to have stabbed the victim in the apartment. Fredrik Elveros is the young boy’s lawyer. On Wednesday judicial history was made at Skellefteå District Court when four witnesses who are close relatives followed through and talked about their close relatives’ participation in the violent crime in Malå.
At the same time, the legal rules in these cases mean that a close relative is not forced to testify but none of the four backed out.
At around 09:15 in the morning the examination of the teenager’s sibling started. In accordance with the first plan the idea was for the examination to be concluded within half an hour but it continued all morning.
The witness was asked a great number of questions by the prosecutor Linnea Hedström, the counsel for an injured party Linda Sundlöf and the four lawyers. In the court room the witness was asked to talk about what their brother charged with murder said about the event after the fact, about their participation and also the roles of the other suspects in the murder.
The sibling talked in the examination about how it was difficult to bear witness against the brother and the other persons charged:
– This is the worst day of my life. I haven’t slept all night.
When he was confronted with having given different statements about big and small details and courses of events, his explanation was that he initially wanted to protect his brother who had in fact admitted that he was there and had stabbed the victim.
The 20-year-old charged with murder got to face a sibling bearing witness against him in the court room on Wednesday. This sibling testified that the 20-year-old had described in a conversation in early spring how he, their mother and the charged teenager together went to the victim’s home in Malå.
Around 14:00 a further relative was called to witness in court room 1. This was a sibling of the 20-year-old suspect. In addition, the 40-year-old woman is the mother of the witness.
As early as June 12 Norran could report that the sibling was summoned to witness at the trial.
The sibling’s brother, the 20-year-old, had in a visit in early spring told the sibling that he, their mother – that is the woman charged with murder – and the teenage boy was behind the violent act but that the three had acted in different ways.
– My brother said that all three were in the apartment and that my mother first kicked, or was kicked, the witness started by saying.
Thereafter the 20-year-old is to have talked about how the teenage boy attacked the victim by stabbing him in the side. Then the 20-year-old himself attacked with stabs to the back and the throat. The mother did not use a knife, according to what the 20-year-old told the sibling.
Despite a flood of counterquestions from several of the lawyers, the witness stuck to their story. In addition to that which happened inside the apartment the 20-year-old had also told his sibling that evidence such as knives and clothes was later burned.
– The fact that I contacted the police was because I wanted the truth out, the witness added.