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Priest's murder plot sickens
30/07/2004 22:45 - (SA)
Stockholm - A Swedish court on Friday sentenced a Pentecostal pastor to life for his role in a murder case that grabbed headlines in both Sweden and Norway.
Norwegian-born pastor Helge Fossmo was found guilty by Uppsala district court of planning the murder of his second wife, Alexandra, on January 10.
The court also ruled that he masterminded the shooting of a neighbour whose wife he had an affair with at the time.
The crimes were carried out by 33-year-old Fossmo's former nanny, Sara Svensson. Svensson, 27, was sentenced to psychiatric care in a secure unit.
Prosecutor Elin Blank said Fossmo had urged the nanny to kill his wife "on behalf of God" since divorce was unthinkable for a Pentecostal pastor.
The court said Fossmo had "ruthlessly used Sara Svensson's love for him and her dependence on him as a spiritual leader."
In addition to shooting 23-year-old Alexandra Fossmo, Svensson also confessed to attacking Alexandra with a hammer last November, as well as the shooting of a 30-year-old neighbour of Fossmo's that January night.
Svensson's testimony and evidence, including text messages sent from Fossmo to Svensson's mobile telephone, were key in the prosecution's case against Fossmo.
The police investigation disclosed that gunshot victim Daniel Linde's wife had had an affair with Helge Fossmo.
Fossmo was one of the pastors in a closely-knit congregation of born-again Pentecostals that number some 60 members in the village of Knutby, some 100km north of Stockholm.
Loyalty to Fossmo blocked the investigation for weeks, but when reports surfaced of his infidelity he was disowned by the congregation and key evidence came to light.
Fossmo was not found guilty of killing his first wife Helene, 26, although there were grave suspicions of his involvement, the court said.
The prosecution would consider an appeal to the decision that cleared Fossmo of killing his first wife in December 1999, Blank said, adding that she was not surprised the nanny was sentenced to psychiatric care.
Fossmo's lawyer said his client was not surprised about the sentence but was considering an appeal. - Sapa-dpa
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