district court of ravnkær case no. 2026-r-0041 the state v. jens møller

transcript of proceedings — direct examination of ole hansen called by the prosecution

prosecutor nielsen: mr. hansen, you own the property approximately 800 meters southeast of møllergården, is that correct?

ole hansen: that’s right. been there thirty-one years now.

prosecutor nielsen: and on the evening of january 14th, where were you?

ole hansen: in my workshop. i was fixing a gate — a fence gate that had come loose in the wind the week before. i’d been putting it off.

prosecutor nielsen: does your workshop face in the direction of mr. møller’s farm?

ole hansen: there’s a window on the north wall. if i look out, i can see the road leading up to his place. not the farm itself, mind you, but the road and some of the tree line.

prosecutor nielsen: approximately what time did you begin working in the workshop that evening?

ole hansen: around seven, half past seven. it gets dark early, but i had the work light on. i was in no hurry.

prosecutor nielsen: did you observe anything unusual that evening?

ole hansen: the first thing — headlights. around half eight. a car coming up the road toward jens’s place. i could see the lights through the trees.

prosecutor nielsen: did you think anything of it at the time?

ole hansen: no. people come and go. jens gets deliveries, has people over. i didn’t pay it much mind.

prosecutor nielsen: what happened next?

ole hansen: i kept working. maybe an hour later — around half nine, i’d say — i heard voices.

prosecutor nielsen: voices. can you describe what you heard?

ole hansen: raised voices. two men. not shouting exactly, not at first. but — you know when people are arguing and they’re trying not to shout but they can’t help it? that kind of thing. it would get louder, then drop, then louder again.

prosecutor nielsen: how long did this last?

ole hansen: five minutes. maybe ten. hard to say. i noticed it, put down my tools for a moment, listened. then it stopped and i went back to work.

prosecutor nielsen: you said two men. how confident are you that it was two distinct voices?

ole hansen: [pause] fairly confident. the rhythm of it — one would go, then the other. back and forth. if it was one man on the phone, you’d hear the gaps differently. this was — it was an argument. i’ve heard arguments before.

prosecutor nielsen: could you make out any words?

ole hansen: no. at that distance, you get the shape of it but not the words. just the — the heat. you could hear the heat in it.

prosecutor nielsen: what did you do when you heard the argument?

ole hansen: i thought about going over. briefly. but it wasn’t my business, and jens is — [pause] — i decided it wasn’t my business.

prosecutor nielsen: you hesitated there, mr. hansen. you were going to say something about jens møller?

defense counsel degn: objection. leading the witness.

judge thorsen: sustained. mr. hansen, please just answer what you observed.

ole hansen: i heard the argument and decided not to go over. that’s all.

prosecutor nielsen: after the argument stopped, did you hear anything else?

ole hansen: yes. later — and i’m less certain about the time here — maybe twenty to ten, maybe a bit before or after — i heard a shout.

prosecutor nielsen: a shout. one shout?

ole hansen: one. short. not like the argument. this was — it was just one sound. sharp.

prosecutor nielsen: could you tell where it came from?

ole hansen: the direction of jens’s farm. but i can’t be more precise than that. i wasn’t near the window at that point. i was across the workshop at the workbench.

prosecutor nielsen: did you think it was an animal?

ole hansen: i considered it. we get foxes, and they make sounds that can fool you. but i don’t think it was a fox. it sounded human. but i’m — i want to be honest with the court — i’m not certain. it was one sound and then nothing.

prosecutor nielsen: what did you do after hearing this shout?

ole hansen: nothing. i wish i had. but it was one sound and it was quiet after. i kept working.

prosecutor nielsen: between the time of the argument — approximately 21:30 — and when the ambulance arrived, did you hear a car leave møllergården?

ole hansen: no. no car. i would have noticed, because after the argument i was — i was listening a bit, even though i pretended i wasn’t. the road makes a particular sound when a car passes, gravel and then tarmac. i didn’t hear that.

prosecutor nielsen: so the car you saw arrive around 20:30 — as far as you know, it was still there?

ole hansen: as far as i know, yes.

prosecutor nielsen: mr. hansen, how well do you know the defendant?

ole hansen: we’re neighbors. not friends. we’ve lived 800 meters apart for — well, since he took over the farm from his father. we nod at each other. we’ve helped each other when weather gets bad. the usual.

prosecutor nielsen: would you characterize your relationship as cordial?

ole hansen: [long pause] polite. i’d say polite.

prosecutor nielsen: has there ever been any friction between you?

defense counsel degn: objection. relevance.

prosecutor nielsen: your honor, it goes to the witness’s ability to observe the defendant’s character and temperament.

judge thorsen: i’ll allow it, but keep it brief.

ole hansen: there was an incident a couple of years ago. his dogs got into my chicken coop. killed four hens. i told him about it. he said the dogs must have gotten loose and that was more or less the end of it.

prosecutor nielsen: he didn’t offer compensation?

ole hansen: no.

prosecutor nielsen: and how did that strike you?

ole hansen: it struck me as the kind of thing a decent man apologizes for. but people handle things differently.

prosecutor nielsen: in the years you’ve been neighbors, have you ever heard arguments coming from møllergården before?

ole hansen: once or twice. jens is a man who raises his voice. i don’t mean he’s violent — i have no knowledge of that. but he’s not quiet when he’s upset. you hear him.

prosecutor nielsen: and the argument on january 14th — compared to what you’ve heard before?

ole hansen: louder. longer. but i don’t want to overstate it. i was 800 meters away, working in a workshop. i’m telling you what i heard.

prosecutor nielsen: no further questions, your honor.

[witness remains for cross-examination]