Danish submarine inventor Peter Madsen, convicted of torturing and murdering Swedish reporter Kim Wall last year, lost his appeal against his life sentence Wednesday, shortly after he apologized to the victim's family.
The 47-year-old listened quietly as judge Jan Uffe Rasmussen read the ruling by the Eastern High Court.
Rasmussen said the high court had reached the same conclusion as the Copenhagen City Court, which sentenced Madsen to life in April after convicting him of murder.
In Denmark, a life sentence is on average 16 years, but can be extended if necessary. Madsen, 47, had wanted a time-limited sentence, not an open-ended prison term.
The prosecutor had argued that the life sentence should be upheld, saying the motive was sexual and the crime was planned.
"I'm terribly sorry to Kim's relatives for what happened," Madsen told the panel of judges as he was given the last word.
Ingrid and Joachim Wall, the reporter's parents, were present in court. Defending Madsen, lawyer Betina Hald Engmark argued that her client "has a clean criminal record and alone has been convicted for one murder."
Prosecutor Kristian Kirk said Wall could not escape and "likely had begged for her life" while Madsen carried out "a sadistic, yes inhuman, sexual fantasy."
He added Madsen had been planning the murder and "just waited for a victim."
"Kim Wall walked directly into a death trap," Kirk said before looking up at Madsen, who listened with his hands on the table: "I cannot see any other sentence than life."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content