The first day of trial for a woman accused of killing her husband with a hammer brought to light the couple's strained relationship, with police officers recounting the discovery of the victim's body.
On the first day of the trial for a 40-year-old woman accused of killing her husband with a hammer, the focus was on the testimony of police officers who were present when the victim was discovered.
The defendant is charged with murdering her husband in early 2022 and subsequently dragging his body into the cellar.
Central to the testimonies presented on Monday afternoon was the theme of an unhappy marriage between the 57-year-old victim, an alcoholic, and his then 38-year-old Brazilian wife, who allegedly endured harassment. The couple had been married for nine years and owned a home in the small village of Heispelt.
On 7 March 2022, police visited their residence after the man had not been seen in the village for an extended period. The defendant claimed he had gone shopping that day. When officers returned later, they searched the house and noticed a door in the kitchen blocked by a table. Upon asking if her husband was behind the door, the defendant responded affirmatively. When asked if he was dead, she gave what officers described as a "distanced and neutral" yes. In the cellar, police found the man's body lying naked on a blood-soaked blanket, with clear signs of blunt force trauma to his head.
A forensic officer reconstructed the events of that day. According to her report, the victim was sitting on the bed when he was attacked from behind with a hammer, as evidenced by blood traces that had been made visible during the investigation. The officer noted that the hammer, weighing between 1 and 1.5 kilogrammes, was "not small" and presented it to the courtroom. The victim was struck "at least six times" in the head before being placed on a blanket and dragged into the cellar. The officer confirmed that the victim was likely still alive during this process, as evidence indicated he had been moving around in the cellar.
Testimony presented on the first day of the trial revealed that the exact time of the victim's death remains unclear. However, it is confirmed that the defendant began using her husband's phone to send messages starting on 14 February 2022. This was noted in court due to the spelling mistakes found in the texts. In the days and weeks following the incident, the defendant allegedly checked her bank account, searched for holidays, and looked for properties in Brazil using her phone.
The chief commissioner also testified, explaining that he interrogated the defendant on the day of her arrest. He reported that she candidly described the events leading up to the incident, and he found no reason to doubt her claims. In her statements, the defendant recounted a prior confrontation during which her husband had threatened her with a knife. She claimed that he subsequently returned to the bedroom, where she attacked him.
Additionally, the defendant stated that her husband frequently verbally and physically assaulted her and that he was often intoxicated. These claims are supported by records indicating that both the police and the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) "regularly" intervened at their home. On one occasion, the defendant locked her husband in the cellar, and on another, she threw dildos at the firefighters responding to a call. The victim's medical file includes 11 entries related to his alcohol consumption.
The defendant also stated that she regularly checked on her husband in the cellar after the attack and confirmed that he was still alive at that time. She admitted to undressing him, allegedly to make him cold as a form of revenge for a prior incident in which he had locked her out of the house while she was lightly clothed. When the public prosecutor's representative asked why she did not call for an ambulance, the defendant reportedly replied that she "did not have the strength" to do so. The prosecutor countered her statement, questioning how she could lack the strength to call for help but still have enough energy to search for holidays and properties.
During expert testimonies, the defendant frequently interrupted, prompting police officers to instruct her to wait her turn. Additional testimonies on the first day of the trial highlighted that the defendant often browsed luxury items on her phone and had remained unemployed "at least" since her marriage. One police investigator noted that the victim's inheritance has been frozen following the defendant's attempt to sell the victim's house.
The trial is set to continue on Thursday.
As in all cases, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
