June 15, 2018
Peter Nielsen, the Danish man who allegedly killed his wife and daughter is to remain in prison custody until his trial begins in October.
A Lagos High Court sitting in the Igbosere gave the order on Thursday following Mr Nielsen’s arraignment by the Lagos State Government, Channels Television reports.
The suspect appeared before Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile on two counts of murder, an offence contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2015.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Adeniji Kazeem, led the state prosecution team at the proceedings.
He told the court that Mr Neilsen, 53, allegedly killed his 37-year-old musician wife, Zainab, and his three-year-old daughter, Petra, on April 5, at about 3:45 a.m. at their Banana Island residence in the Ikoyi, Lagos.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges while the Attorney General consequently asked the court for a trial date.
The counsel to the defendant and a former Attorney-General of Lagos, Olasupo Shasore, who had no objections to the request, told the court that the defence team would like to carry out a test.
He said, “We are interested in taking the blood sample of the defendant; I thought it will be better to inform this court that his blood sample would be taken for DNA, analysis.”
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile then asked the defendant if he would like to give his consent for his blood sample to be taken for the DNA test.
Mr Nielson, in his response, said, “Yes I give my consent for my blood sample to be taken for DNA.”
Mr. Shasore further informed the court that the defence team needed the results of an autopsy report earlier conducted by the prosecution team for trial.
“We are interested in the autopsy report and the prosecution has assured us that we would get it in four weeks. We need to consult some of our experts for analysis of the test as we would need it during the trial,” he added.
The commissioner, on his part, promised to make same available to the defence team, noting that the state government’s forensic lab would collect the blood sample of the defendant.
He explained that this was because of the pending medical tests and the fast-approaching annual court vacation scheduled to commence in July.
In her ruling, Justice Okikiolu- Ighile ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
She then adjourned the case till October 8 and 9 after the court’s vacation, for the commencement of trial.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Zainab and her four-year-old daughter, Petral, were found dead on April 5 at their Banana Island resident, Ikoyi, where she resided with her husband, Peter Nielsen.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Edgal Imohimi, said the forensic report revealed that there were bloodstains from the couple’s bedroom to the kitchen.
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