Philip Svenonius has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a fatal shooting in Lund, while Mahdi Nuur received an eight-year sentence. The murder, described as an execution, took place in January near the courthouse. Nuur, who was under 18 at the time, avoided a life sentence due to his age. The case involved complex criminal backgrounds and connections, with both men denying full responsibility.
Philip Svenonius and Mahdi Nuur Sentenced for Lund Shooting
Philip Svenonius and Mahdi Nuur Sentenced for Lund Shooting
Philip Svenonius receives life imprisonment – man shot dead in Lund
The murder occurred on January 28 this year at the square, right by the courthouse, in Lund. Mahdi Nuur had agreed via Signal chats to murder the man for payment. He was assisted by Philip Svenonius. Nuur traveled to Lund to meet Svenonius and receive the loaded weapons. Svenonius had previously lured the victim to the crime scene. The older man acted as the go-between, deceiving the victim to the location. The 18-year-old was arrested shortly after at the train station.
Pure Execution
A witness recounts in the investigation:
– I saw everything, it was a pure execution. A guy stood by the bike rack outside Hertz. He arrived with two other guys. They shot him down. First with 3-4 shots to the chest. Then he tried to get up, and they hit him with the gun butt on the head and kicked him down. He tried to get up again, then they shot 3-4 more shots. Maybe ten shots in total. I watched everything. My wife refused to look. We were there to pick up our daughter. They were right in front of us. We were about 10-12 meters away.
Sydsvenskan previously reported that Norwegian police arrested a person suspected of commissioning the murder. According to prosecutor Pernilla Nilsson, a person has admitted to being behind the alias Sinister, who had close contact with the 18-year-old from Karlskrona just before the murder. It involves a 16-year-old Norwegian boy. However, the investigation is not complete.
Victim: 30-Year-Old Man with Criminal Past
The murdered man had been registered in Sweden since the millennium and a Swedish citizen since 2013. His family is from Chile. He had been on the police radar for the past 15 years due to his criminal associations. He was convicted of serious weapons offenses at 16, resulting in juvenile care.
This was followed by a series of convictions, mainly related to drug offenses but also violent and traffic crimes. He was regularly caught in police checks, giving the police a comprehensive picture of his circles and friends. At the time of the murder, it was known to the police that he had been living under a high threat level since 2024 and had been subjected to assassination attempts.
Lived Under Threat
According to a former girlfriend, he often wore a bulletproof vest, and a friend recounts being present on two occasions when young men tried to kill him, tasked with shooting at his red Mercedes. The friend says the murder victim was associated with Ismael “Jordgubben” Abdo and that Philip Svenonius, who bought his drugs from Foxtrot, had consulted Foxtrot on what to do.
Denies Crime
Mahdi Nuur has denied the crime. Philip Svenonius admitted to handing over the loaded weapons, arranging a meeting with the victim, being at the crime scene, and handling a weapon after the shooting, but denies the crime.
Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
The verdict was announced on Friday at Lund District Court. Philip Svenonius received a life sentence, and Mahdi Nuur, previously unconvicted, received eight years in prison.
The murder occurred just two months before Mahdi Nuur would have turned 18, which is why he avoids a life sentence unlike his accomplice. The court writes in the verdict that he would have been sentenced to life imprisonment if the act had been committed after his 18th birthday. The court assesses that the murder has a penalty value equivalent to life for an adult.
"Justified" – But Too Young
– The circumstances surrounding the murder are so aggravating that a life sentence is justified. As for (Mahdi Nuur, ed.), the sentence should be reduced because he was under 18 when the crime was committed, says Kajsa Johansson, the court's chairman.
In the case, Mahdi Nuur stated that he shot at the victim but did not intend to kill him. Svenonius stated that he handed two pistols to Nuur and met the victim to discuss a debt but was not involved in the murder, writes the court.
– The evidence shows that (Mahdi Nuur, ed.) had undertaken to commit a murder for payment and that he shot the victim with the intent to kill him. It also shows that (Philip Svenonius, ed.) had participated in planning the murder and acted together with (Mahdi Nuur, ed.) during the shooting, says the court's chairman Kajsa Johansson.
Prosecutor: Satisfied
The prosecutor is satisfied with the outcome.
– We did not request life for Mahdi Nuur, and that is due to legislation and the practice that exists regarding young offenders. A reduction in the penalty value that an adult would have received should be made, says senior prosecutor Pernilla Nilsson.
She continues:
– The court largely ruled as the prosecutors had requested. Among other things, that these two should be convicted of murder both. The other issue was the penalty. There, the district court made a good assessment. We had requested life for the 35-year-old and a slightly longer prison sentence than what was given for the 18-year-old.
Men's Background
Philip Svenonius has a history of addiction and addiction-related crime. He appears in 30 entries in the criminal record. He is now convicted of murder, particularly serious weapons offenses, and serious drug offenses. At the time of the crime, he partly lived with his mother in the countryside but spent much time in Lund. Mahdi Nuur and Philip Svenonius had no connection to each other and had not met before. Svenonius and the murder victim had met a few times through a former friend.