2007 Hitman case

The 2007 hitman case is an Australian criminal case involving Steven Wayne Spaliviero and Swede Charlotte Karin Lindström. Lindström is so far the only one sentenced for the crime. Spaliviero served 11 years in prison and was released October 2017, but was never charged for the hitman case. The hitman case has been widely reported by media in Australia and Scandinavia.

Charlotte Lindström

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Charlotte Karin Lindström (born 9 August 1984 in Sollentuna, Sweden) is a former waitress, promotion model,[1] and former prisoner having spent three years in a Sydney jail after being arrested on 26 May 2007[2] in Sydney, in Australia on suspicion of trying to hire a hitman to kill two men who were about to testify against her boyfriend Steven Spaliviero in court.[3][4]

Case

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Lindström arrived in Sydney in 2004 working as a part-time model as well as a waitress in the exclusive nightclub Hemmesphere in Sydney.[5]

In Sydney, Lindström met Steven Spaliviero and they soon started a relationship living in an apartment in Darling Harbour. Lindström later told the court that she soon realised that he was both a wealthy businessman and a drug dealer. In early 2007, investigators started to look into Spaliviero's business and soon found two witnesses who said they had information about the man's drug dealing business. At that time Spaliviero was already on bail from Melbourne in relation to another drug case. Spaliviero was arrested, refused bail and sent to Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre ("MRRC") in Silverwater, New South Wales.

Murder plot

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In MRRC, Spaliviero allegedly met another inmate who offered him to get witnesses in Spaliviero's case killed. In relation to this, Spaliviero phoned Lindström from MRRC telling her to meet a "solicitor" and give him money.[6]

Lindström started acting upon instructions from Spaliviero. When Lindström finally met who she thought was a hitman, but who in reality was an undercover police officer, she was arrested. The police officer on the case stated that Lindström wanted to have two men taken to the "cemetery" which meant she wanted them dead. The price was agreed as A$100,000 for each contract.[7]

Upon her arrest on 26 May Lindström was remanded in custody. Later an application for bail was made where Steven Spaliviero's mother, Dolores Spaliviero, offered to put up A$2,000,000 surety to get Lindström out from custody.[8] In addition, Lindström's friend and employer, Justin Hemmes provided an undertaking that if Lindström was set free on bail, he would let her continue her work at the Hemmesphere nightclub until the trial.[9] The application for bail was denied due to flight risk and Lindström was remanded in custody.[10]

On 18 September, having had a deal made with the prosecutors Lindström pleaded guilty to the charges. On 21 December, she pleaded guilty in another court in Sydney. Lindström appeared in a bullet-proof vest at her court hearings because of the alleged death threats against her.[11]

Lindström was initially sentenced to four years in jail being eligible for early parole on 25 May 2009.[12] Even though Lindström was given a hefty discount from her sentence because she had agreed to testify against Steven Spaliviero and two other men, the Crown appealed against the sentence as "manifestly inadequate". The criminal court of appeals heard the appeal on 4 July 2008.[13][14]

On 23 July 2008, her maximum sentence was increased from three years and ten months to four years and nine months, making her eligible for parole in May 2010.[15][16] On 11 August 2008, Lindström started testifying against Spaliviero in his court case, even reading a love letter to the court which she had written to him in February 2007, some months before her own arrest.[17]

Despite Lindström's extensive testimonies, Spaliviero and two other defendants were found not guilty for the murder plot.[18][19]

Lindström was released on parole from Long Bay jail in New South Wales on 25 May 2010 and deported the next day from Australia.[20]

Since her release from prison, Lindström has returned to her native home Sweden and is understood to have had ongoing threats against her life.[21]

According to the Australian media, on 15 August 2010, Charlotte Lindström agreed to return to Australia to testify in the trial of Spaliviero's associate. Due to an unspecified severe illness, she has not been allowed to travel to Australia. The upcoming trial has been postponed.[22]

Court hearings after sentence

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On 11 August 2008, Lindström was in court reading the love letter she wrote to Steven in February 2007, some months before her own arrest.[23]

In June 2009, Lindström started to testify against Spaliviero in a Sydney courtroom. A video of Lindströms 2007 arrest in Sydney was also released to the media.[24][25] However, in July 2009 Steven Spaliviero and two suspected accomplices were found not guilty of conspiracy to murder the witnesses.[26]

Media

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In November, a few months after being released Charlotte Lindström appeared on the Australian 60 Minutes on Channel 9 telling about her time in jail and about how she could do the crime she was sentenced for.[27]

Channel 9 in Australia aired a documentary on 6 September 2011 concentrating on Charlotte Lindström's murder plot. According to the article in The Sydney Morning Herald Charlotte Lindström "no longer has feelings for" Steven Spaliviero.[28]

Steven Spaliviero published a book in 2017 called Narco X about his criminal past and his relationship with Lindström.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Criminal end of a beautiful friendship". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Newspix Home Page". Newspix.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  3. ^ Watson, Rhett (26 June 2007). "Drug DNA links Swede's fiance". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  4. ^ "Police raids snare two-tonne ecstasy haul". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 2005. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  5. ^ "Lindstrom tells of regret, intimidation". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  6. ^ "Swedish model admits plot to murder". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  7. ^ "Jailed model's ex cleared of murder plot". ABC News. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Jailed beauty turns on fiance". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  9. ^ "Envelope held details of killing order, court told". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. ^ Kennedy, Les (8 June 2007). "Conspiracy accused socialite fails in bail bid". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  11. ^ "Socialite wears bullet-proof vest in Aussie court". Stuff. 17 March 2008. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  12. ^ "The downfall of model prisoner Charlotte Lindstrom". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Model Charlotte Lindstrom sought hit 'under spell'". 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009.
  14. ^ "Crown to appeal Swedish model's sentence". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Jetset-svenskans straff förlängs | Senaste nytt - Nyheter Sport Nöje TV". Expressen. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  16. ^ "Parole eligibility". Archived from the original on 19 May 2009.
  17. ^ Davies, Lisa (11 August 2008). "Sobbing Charlotte Lindstrom testifies against ex-lover". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  18. ^ "Steven Spaliviero found not guilty of soliciting murder". The Australian. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Jailed model's ex cleared of murder plot". The World Observer. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  20. ^ Paine, Chris (26 May 2010). "Swedish model Charlotte Lindstrom all smiles as she heads home | Breaking National News & Australian News". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Freed Swedish model Charlotte Lindstrom leaves behind drugs, lies, hitmen". NewsComAu. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  22. ^ Duffy, Michael (15 August 2010). "Model too ill to return for trial". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  23. ^ Davies, Lisa (11 August 2008). "Sobbing Charlotte Lindstrom testifies against ex-lover". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  24. ^ Kaye, Byron (11 June 2009). "How Charlotte Lindstrom's champagne lifestyle crashed". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  25. ^ "+safeTitle+". Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  26. ^ "Lindstrom ex-lover acquitted of charge". News.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  27. ^ White, Chelsea (14 November 2010). "Lindstrom was a 'robot' in murder plot". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  28. ^ "Doco unravels biggest bust". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  29. ^ Jetsetsvenskans ex släppt ur fängelset talar ut om lyxlivet Aftonbladet Retrieved 5 December 2017 Archived 4 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
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