The man accused of killing 10 year old Helén Nilsson and 26 year old Jannica Ekblad fifteen years ago denied the charges in Lund district court on Thursday.
But the day’s session began in chaos as a man armed with a knife tried to force his way through the security check and into the courtroom.
The man was a 26 year old Malmö resident, and Expressen reported that he was tackled by police and security guards who carried him over the street to the police station for questioning.
Police said that the man had no connection with either of the victims’ families or to Ulf Olsson, the man accused of the murders. The 26 year old said that it was a coincidence that he had a knife and he had just come to watch the trial. He was released after questioning.
Back in court, Ulf Olsson, 52, took the stand after lunch and the chief prosecutor, Pär Andersson, began with questions about his childhood.
“There’s not much to say,” replied Olsson. He said that he had a few friends and was often alone in the forest, as he was interested in nature. He described briefly how he had moved around a lot, and confirmed that in 1989 he was living in the cottage where the murders are said to have taken place.
Olsson admitted that he was often in Hörby, from where Helén was abducted, to visit his sister. But as Aftonbladet reported, he said he could not remember where he was on 20th March 1989, the day she disappeared.
“Did you take Helén away?” asked the prosecutor.
“No,” replied Olsson. “I’ve never seen her.”
“You have heard the experts testify about the certainty that it is your semen which was found in her.”
“I don’t know about that. I have no explanation.”
“You have seen the pictures of how Helén was murdered. Who did it?”
“I don’t know,” said Olsson.
According to Svenska Dagbladet’s Karin Thunberg, Ulf Olsson used few words and spoke very quietly in giving his most common answer: “I have no idea”.
Olsson’s responses were perhaps more significant given what the judge said to him before the lunch break:
“If it is you who did this, I ask you to tell the court,” said Jan Alvå. “Whoever did this cannot expect to be forgiven, nor can he demand to be understood. One can perhaps attain a certain sympathy but it requires courage to talk about such a thing.”
“I think that you, Ulf Olsson, should think about that over lunch,” he concluded.
However, Alvå’s words apparently had little effect. When questioned about the death of Jannica Ekblad – whose blood was found in Olsson’s cottage – he denied any involvement and said that someone else must have taken her there and killed her while he slept in the other room.
“Who has been in your cottage and murdered Jannica and cleaned up when you weren’t there?” asked the prosecutor.
“I don’t know,” Olsson replied. “It’s just a theory.”
Olsson will continue in the witness stand on Friday. Next week his former wife, and a woman with whom he has a child, will testify. The trial is expected to close on 16th December.
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet, Expressen
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