Supreme Court will not hear Knutby case

The Local (Sweden)/January 5, 2005

The life sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal in November to the pastor of Knutby will stand, following the Supreme Court's decision not to hear his appeal.

The pastor, Helge Fossmo, was found guilty of murdering his second wife, Alexandra, and for the attempted murder of a neighbour in January of this year.

He appealed against his sentence on the grounds that the verdict was based on evidence given by a seriously psychologically disturbed person.

The woman who actually pulled the trigger, the family's nanny Sara Svensson, admitted to the shootings from the start, but claimed that she was being controlled by the manipulative pastor. Both Uppsala District Court and Stockholm's Court of Appeal believed her.

She was also found guilty of murder and attempted murder in November but sentenced to secure psychiatric care.

Nevertheless, the Supreme Court only considers appeals "on a question of law" and announced it decision not to proceed with the Knutby case on Tuesday morning.

Fossmo was found not guilty of the murder of his first wife in 1999.