A police inspector and seventh prosecution witness, Babashola Afolayan, told a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere on Monday that Peter Nielsen, from Denmark, was investigated because he is the principal suspect in the killing of his Nigerian singer wife, Zainab, and three-year-old daughter, Petra.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Olasupo Shasore, the inspector said Nielsen was investigated because his Zainab had on July 18, 2017 reported at the Ikoyi Police Station at 2am to file a complaint of assault against Nielsen who she said beat her up around 1am on the same day.
“On July 18, 2017, the defendant’s wife came around 2am and complained about the defendant that around 1am, he pushed her to the bed and pressed her neck and beat her up; it was a case of assault occasioning harm against the defendant. She further reported that that day was the third time he would be beating her.
“She also added that she suspected that Nielsen was a drug addict, stating that whenever he took drugs, he beat her up; all these made him (Nielsen) to be the principal suspect,” Afolayan said.
He also said that he restricted movement to the flat during investigation.
The 53-year-old Danish allegedly murdered his wife and daughter at the family’s residence at the Ocean Parade, Banana Island, Lagos, on April 5, 2018.
Zainab’s body, together with that of her daughter, was found by a team of policemen at 11am on April 5, 2018 after Zainab’s younger sister, Gift, who lived with the family, had reported the assault case to the estate manager, Kunle Kukoyi.
The presiding judge, Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile, adjourned the case till February 20 for the continuation of trial.
