Nielsen was charged with the death of his wife and singer, Zainab, and their three-year-old daughter, Petra in 2018
A Lagos High Court on Friday sentenced a man from Denmark, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging for killing his Nigerian wife and daughter.
Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile convicted Nielsen, 54, on two counts of murder brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
The Dane was charged with the death of his wife and singer, Zainab, and their three-year-old daughter, Petra.
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.
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He pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Peter Nielsen had during his trial, denied the allegation that he killed his wife and their child.
According to Nielsen, he had tried to resuscitate Zainab and Petra after inhaling gas, but when he discovered that they had died, he had to cover them with two blankets.
The defendant said this on the second day of his cross-examination, which started on November 23, 2021.
Nielsen was cross examined by Lagos State prosecuting counsel, Mr Adebayo Haroun, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
During the continuation of his cross-examination, the defendant told the court that when he woke up at 2:30 a.m., on April 5, 2018, he got snacks and drinks for his wife and daughter before going back to sleep.
Nielsen said he did not smell any gas leak in the room at the time.
The defendant said when he later woke up in the morning and did not see his wife on the bed, he went in search of her.
Nielsen said when he saw his wife and daughter in the kitchen, he dragged her to the living room and asked one of the late wife’s stepsisters living with them to bring his daughter.
“I covered my wife and daughter with blankets after I tried to resuscitate them.
“I realised that they had died,” the defendant answered when asked if he already pronounced Zainab and Petra dead before the doctor arrived.
Nielsen was also asked to confirm some of the evidence given to the court by their housemaid, Evelyn, who gave evidence as PW2.
The defendant, in answering some of the questions confirmed, what PW2 had given as evidence.
However, in the case of whether the housemaid was able to enter the kitchen through the back door on the day the incident happened, Nielsen said the housemaid used to enter the kitchen through the back door or front door depending on her duties.
He said the housemaid was staying at the boys’ quarters of their apartment.