Lagos, A Danish national, Peter Nielsen, accused of killing his Nigerian musician wife and daughter, yesterday told a Lagos High Court, sitting at Tafa Balewa Square, TBS, that he woke up in the morning and found his wife and daughter dead on the kitchen floor.
Nielsen said he watched football match together with his wife and was intimate with her a night before her death.
He said this on the second day of his examination-in-chief, as the 10th defendant’s witness.
On the last adjourned date the defendant’s counsel, Mr Olasupo Shashore (SAN), told the court that the evidence of the defendant was very crucial to his defence.
Nielsen was accused of killing his Nigerian wife, Zainab, a singer and their three and a half-year-old daughter, Petra, on April 5, 2018.
At the resumed hearing, of the trial yesterday Nielsen, told the court how he had a good time with his household a night before the death of his wife and daughter.
He told the court that on April 4, 2018, his family members watched television together.
Nielsen said his wife joined him to watch a football match which was unusual.
“There was a football match that evening, my wife knew it was a very important match to me, to my surprise she watched it with me.
“Around 9:45pm, the children went to their room, my wife and I continued watching highlights from the game. It was a very joyful moment.
“Around 11pm, we took our bath together, went to our bedroom and we were intimate.
“Around 2:30am, we were woken by our daughter, Petra, who entered our room and said she wanted to watch cartoon on the iPad,” Nielsen said.
He said his wife took Petra to the sitting room to watch the cartoon on the Television.
The witness/defendant said he went to the kitchen and got some juice and snacks for Petra.
He said his wife said she would warm some food for Petra later.
Nielsen said, “I kissed my wife and daughter and went back to sleep, about 2:35am.
“I woke up around 7:30am and noticed that my wife was not in the bedroom so I went to look for her.”
He said he entered the sitting room and found their maid and other girls standing in the sitting room.
Nielsen said he asked them about his wife but they said they didn’t know.
He said he searched for his wife but saw her lying lifeless with their daughter on the kitchen floor.
Nielsen said there was strong smell of gas when he opened the kitchen door.
The witness said he tried to resuscitate his wife and daughter but when he realised that they were dead he called his wife’s stepfather and told him and his wife to come to Lagos.
He said police arrived shortly before noon and asked him to call their family doctor.
“The doctor eventually came and after, certified the two bodies dead,” he said.
However, while the witness was trying to narrate about the wife’s step father, the prosecution led by the Commissioner for Justice Lagos State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), objected to the evidence.
Onigbanjo said it was a hearsay evidence therefore should not be admitted in evidence.
The defendant counsel maintained that the court should allow the evidence.
After the counsel argument, Justice Bolanle Okikolu-Ighile, adjourned for ruling and continuation of hearing until November 23.
She further remanded the defendant at the correctional centre.
The Lagos State Government had accused the defendant of smothering Zainab and Petra to death at about 3:45 a.m. at 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi.
Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018 and he pleaded not guilty to the two counts of murder punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
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