Danish Man Who Killed Nigerian Wife and Daughter Gets Death Sentence
A Lagos High Court, has sentenced a Dane, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging for killing his Nigerian wife and daughter.
Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile convicted Nielsen, on two counts of murder brought against him by the State Directorate of Public Prosecution.
The judge sentenced Nielsen to death by hanging on both counts.
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile, stated that her verdict relied on the post mortem examination led by Professor John obafunwa on the deceased persons who had submitted that the bruises found on the neck of the head and neck of Zainab were consistent with blunt trauma.
That autopsy report also stated that the “tiny signs of bleeding” proved smothering as cause of death.
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Smothering which caused the absence of oxygen to both deceased persons was also established as the cause of Zainab’s death which the court held that it couldn’t have been self inflicted or due to epilepsy as that wasn’t included in her medical history.
On whether the deaths were caused by the defendant (Peter Nielsen), the court recounted several testimonies by the prosecution’s witnesses including a housemaid, Zainab’s sibling and two police officers who testified during the trial to incidents of domestic violence perpetrated by Mr Nielsen on The late musician.
The court particularly described Zainab’s sister, Pepe, who was about 13 years old at the time of the incident as a witness of truth who testified about a fight between the couple in 2017, adding that the defendant had threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone about what she saw.
The Dane was charged with the death of his wife, a singer, Zainab, and their three-year-old daughter, Petra.
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Lagos State Government accused him of smothering Zainab and Petra to death at 3.45 a.m. at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018, under Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2015, which prescribes the death penalty, if convicted.
He pleaded not guilty and state commenced prosecution.
In her sentencing, she held that, in Line with Section 223 (2) of the the Criminal Laws of Lagos state, 2015, “subject to the provision of any other law, death sentence is the punishment for murder. I hereby find you, Peter Nielsen, guilty of the murder of Zainab and Petra, as charged. I also prescribe the sentence of the court upon you for both counts of murder, to be death by hanging. May the Almighty God have mercy on your soul.”
