“I am really surprised with this verdict. I thought it would be manslaughter and ten years,” the 39-year old’s defence lawyer Andres Berglund told daily Expressen.

“I am very disappointed and I expect my client is as well. I will advise him to appeal and then we will just have to see if he has the strength to go through with it.”

The 39-year-old, who is said to have known his victim before the incident, allegedly struck the older man in the head repeatedly with both an axe and a frying pan.

Then he dumped the man’s inert body into a well on the victim’s property, where he subsequently drowned, according to the charge sheet.

According to local paper Corren, witnesses have said that they saw several people near the house earlier in the day and that gun fire was heard coming from the property.

The 39-year-old was brought in for questioning some eight days later. At first he denied all allegations, but later admitted to manslaughter.

However, the court followed the prosecutor’s line of treating the incident as murder and sentenced the man to twelve years in prison.

“I am very pleased that the verdict said murder and not manslaughter, as he wanted. I am pleased that we get closure so that all the neighbours and relatives can know the truth and no longer have to be worried,” said prosecutor Britt-Louise Viklund to Expressen.

The Local/rm