Leniency For Swedish Murder Conspirator Who Fears A Real Hitman
The Age
Saturday March 8, 2008
SWEDISH socialite Charlotte Lindstrom could leave a Sydney prison in little more than a year after her sentence for soliciting the murder of crown witnesses was reduced because of the help she gave NSW police in the face of death threats.
Justice Stephen Rothman found Lindstrom was manipulated by her controlling fiance - who is now threatening to kill her - and that her judgement was impaired by drugs.In the NSW Supreme Court yesterday, Lindstrom, 23, wiped away tears as he sentenced her to a maximum of almost four years in jail and a minimum of two. Taking into account the time she has already served, her earliest release date is May next year. Her co-operation with police meant Lindstrom would have to go into witness protection when she leaves jail, and the rest of her life would be spent "looking over her shoulder", Justice Rothman said.She is in solitary confinement in an unnamed men's prison to protect her from threats on her life. "Were this regime imposed for reasons other than her own safety, it would amount possibly to a form of torture," he said.Lindstrom's father, Hans Lindstrom, said: "I think it's not fair." However, her lawyer, Philip Stewart, said the defence was pleased with the outcome. Lindstrom met her former fiance - who is 18 years her senior - during a working holiday to Sydney and told psychologists: "It was different, exciting, he made me feel important and special, he fascinated me, he know so much about everything, and he was manly, I felt really safe with him." He introduced her to drugs. After her fiance went to jail on serious drug charges in late 2006, Lindstrom was taking prescription drugs - including one Valium, one Stilnox and 11/2 Xanax a day - to manage depression and anxiety. The Supreme Court heard such drugs are "known to impact negatively on a person's ability to make rational judgements and decisions", especially for those who are underweight. From prison, her fiance enlisted her to have two Crown witnesses in his drug trial killed. "In the hospital or the cemetery?" the hitman asked when she handed him an envelope with details of the witnesses' identities and their photos circled. "Cemetery," she replied.The hitman was an undercover policeman and on May 27 last year she was arrested. Justice Rothman said Lindstrom's former fiance was callously manipulating her "misplaced loyalty and devotion". He said her immaturity caused her to romanticise the relationship and disregard the consequences of her actions. She is paranoid - justifiably, said Justice Rothman - and has nightmares about the threats.
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