Died after being assaulted by the partner – the case in HD

The woman had been subjected to extensive violence when she was found dead in the bathroom at home just over a year ago.

Now HD must decide whether her partner should be sentenced for having murdered her or if it can only be proven that he severely abused her. The case may become a guide for similar acts of violence.

After an argument one night out in Hudiksvall in the summer of 2022, the woman was again abused by her 51-year-old partner when the couple returned home.

The investigation showed that the 61-year-old woman was attacked with punches, kicks and pushes. The severe violence caused, among other things, a severe brain injury and several very serious bodily injuries.

First convicted of murder

Only the following morning, when he said he found his partner dead, did the man alert his mother and her husband, who later called the police.

He has neither admitted nor denied the violence, citing memory loss due to heavy intoxication.

In the district court, the man received a life sentence for murder, but the Court of Appeal for Lower Norrland changed it and instead sentenced him to seven years in prison only for extremely serious assault.

The court noted that the coroner did not rule out that the death could have been caused by drug poisoning, as high levels of antidepressant medication were found in the woman’s body.

“Overturns everything”

The public prosecutor (RÅ) appealed to the Supreme Court and wants the man to be convicted of murder. According to RÅ, the Court of Appeal has made an all too narrow assessment of the cause of death and has not taken in the overall picture.

– The criticism that can be directed at the Court of Appeal is that they have allowed a statement from the coroner to gain so much weight that it overturns everything else, says agency head My Hedström at the Attorney General’s Office to TT.

The Supreme Court held the main hearing in the case on Wednesday. The verdict in the case, which becomes a guide for how other courts should reason in similar circumstances, will be announced at a later date.