1996 File Photo

It’s a long and gruesome story that involves a pair of incredibly wealthy individuals. Hans and Eva Rausing were happily married for 21 years, she was from a wealthy American family and he was living off the money he inherited from the Tetra Pak carton empire. Unfortunately, the couple’s marriage was marred by drug abuse, which would ultimately be the cause of Eva’s death.

The tale of Eva Rausing’s death finally came to an end yesterday after Hans Rausing pleaded guilty to preventing the proper burial of her body. Eva’s body was discovered by London police on the 9th of July this year, after Hans was pulled off the street for driving erratically. After police found drugs in the car, they proceeded to search his home, where she was discovered in a fly-filled room, lying under a pile of clothes and bags that had been taped together. Her date of death was later determined as May 7th, more than two months prior. Hans Rausing was using deodorising powder to try and minimize the smell.

Whilst he is not being held guilty for her death, which was determined as heart failure because of drug use, Rausing has entered a plea of guilty on the charge of preventing the proper burial of his wife. For this, he has received a 10 month suspended sentence which will require supervised drug rehabilitation, as well as a two month suspended sentence for driving under the influence of drugs.

In a statement to the court, Rausing had the following to say:

I did not feel able to confront the reality of her death. I do not feel, with the benefit of hindsight, that following her death I acted rationally. I do not have a very coherent recollection of the events leading up to and since Eva’s death. Safe to assure you that I have never wished her or done (sic) her any harm.

Hans Rausing has denied supplying Eva with drugs, and will be imprisoned if he commits any further drug offences.

[Source: ABC]