Peter Madsen Trial: Day 2 recap as court hears about defendant’s personal relationships

Submariner’s life laid bare as he denies erotic motive

Mar 22, 2018

As Peter Madsen took the stand at the City Court for the second day running in Denmark’s most famous murder trial, in which he stands accused of the premeditated murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, the court heard the defendant answer a number of questions concerning his personal relationships.

For over five hours, Madsen answered queries about other lovers in his life and the court was shown a number of videos depicting the killing of women that were found on his workshop computer after his arrest.

Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen showed the court two animated videos with women having their heads cut off and being impaled on spikes, while the jury alone were treated to the real decapitation film that Madsen allegedly watched on August 10 – the fateful day he took Wall out on the submarine Nautilus.

Madsen, however, denied finding inspiration in the videos, but said that he watched the real decapitation because he felt bad for the woman having her head cut off.

Nothing Erotic
Madsen also denied being turned on by necrophilia – Wall’s body had sustained many wounds post mortem – contending that he dismembered her to be able to get the body out of the submarine. There was nothing erotic in it, he maintained.

Defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark then went through a number of people who Madsen had previously had a relationship with, including former lovers, friends and colleagues.

Madsen then talked about the various relationships he had with those individuals, including his supposedly wild sexual desire and the thoughts of several ex-lovers.

One of those former lovers will be a key witness. On August 4, Madsen sent her a text message saying that he wanted to impale her with a roasting spit – after she asked him to send her a threat as part of a game. That was just for fun, Madsen then explained.

Madsen also revealed that other people, including interns and a former lover, had access to the harddrive at his workshop. The lover even took it home once as well, he claimed.

The trial continues tomorrow as the first witnesses take the stand.