Boy's killer pleads not guilty to murder
A 27-year-old man who stabbed an eight-year-old boy to death in the village of Norrahammar in southern Sweden has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. When the trial began on Thursday morning, the suspect admitted assaulting eight-year-old Tobias Enroth but insisted that there was no intent to kill.
According to the defendant's lawyer, Anders Tolke, the suspect believed that the boy, and others in the vicinity, knew what was going to happen and would ensure that the victim received immediate treatment. As such, the attack would no result in the boy's death.
With this delusion in mind, the defence lawyer argued that his client cannot be considered to have intentionally murdered the young victim.
The 27-year-old has also explained in police questioning that his understanding of the situation was partly shaped by the fact that a number of cars failed to stop when he began the attack. He took this as a sign that people in his immediate environment had given him their tacit approval.
It was first when people stopped and began shouting at him that he became confused and ran away.
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According to the defendant's lawyer, Anders Tolke, the suspect believed that the boy, and others in the vicinity, knew what was going to happen and would ensure that the victim received immediate treatment. As such, the attack would no result in the boy's death.
With this delusion in mind, the defence lawyer argued that his client cannot be considered to have intentionally murdered the young victim.
The 27-year-old has also explained in police questioning that his understanding of the situation was partly shaped by the fact that a number of cars failed to stop when he began the attack. He took this as a sign that people in his immediate environment had given him their tacit approval.
It was first when people stopped and began shouting at him that he became confused and ran away.
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