For more than two months, Hans Kristian Rausing went about his business while the corpse of his wife Eva decomposed in their luxury home in central London. And when friends or family asked about Eva, the billionaire's son would give vague replies, never suggesting anything was awry.
But the macabre pretense was dropped on July 9 when London police stopped Hans Kristian for driving erratically and, after finding drugs, searched his home. They found Eva's body in a fly-filled room under a pile of clothing and garbage bags that had been taped together.
Her husband had used deodorizing power to try to minimize the smell.
The bizarre case of two extremely wealthy, drug-addicted souls who had contributed millions to anti-drug charities reached its climax in court Wednesday when Hans Kristian pleaded guilty to preventing the proper burial of his wife.
He was sentenced to a 10-month suspended jail sentence that will require him to receive extensive treatment at a drug rehabilitation center, plus a two-month suspended sentence for driving under the influence of drugs.
Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson said Wednesday that Hans Kristian, 49, did not do anything to contribute to his wife's death, which the judge said was probably caused by heart failure coupled with drug abuse.
In a statement read in court, Hans Kristian said he believes he suffered a breakdown after Eva died because he could not face losing her.
"I did not feel able to confront the reality of her d*ath," Hans Kristian said in the statement, adding that he "batted away" any inquiries about his wife.
"I do not feel, with the benefit of hindsight, that following her death I acted rationally," he said, adding that he had been "very traumatized" by the situation.
He sat silently in court during the proceeding, wearing a blue suit and red tie.
The details revealed Wednesday established that investigators believe Eva died on May 7, with drugs including cocaine in her system, and that her husband admitted that he kept her in their home rather than report her death to authorities.
