Tetra Pak heir not fit to be questioned over wife’s ‘murder’

Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing is still not fit to be questioned about the death of his wife, Eva, an inquest has heard.

Police discovered the “lifeless body” of millionairess Mrs Rausing after they arrested her husband over a drugs offence earlier this week, the hearing was told.

Mrs Rausing, one of Britain’s richest women, was found dead in a bedroom of the opulent Cadogan Place house in London’s Chelsea which she shared with her husband.

Yesterday an inquest was opened into Mrs Rausing’s death.

It heard from Detective Inspector Sharon Marman, who told coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe that Mr Rausing, 49, was stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on 9 July.

Officers found drugs in his car and when they searched the couple’s home, discovered Mrs Rausing’s body.

Mr Rausing – heir to a £5.4 billion fortune from his Swedish father’s business – was arrested but is currently under medical supervision and detectives have been unable to interview him.

American-born Eva Kemeny, the daughter of Pepsi-Cola executive and property developer Tom Kemeny, married Mr Rausing soon after they met at an American drugs rehabilitation clinic in the 1980s.

In 2008, the couple faced drug charges after crack cocaine, heroin and 52g of powder cocaine were found in their London home.

Mrs Rausing had been arrested after she allegedly tried to smuggle small amounts of crack cocaine and heroin into the US embassy in London.

Court documents showed that Mrs Rausing, then 44, was carrying about 10g of crack cocaine, 2.5g of heroin and 2.35g of diethylpropion, a banned stimulant and appetite suppressant.

A further drugs stash – 220mg of diazepam, used to treat anxiety – was also found in her Renault Clio car.

However, the charges were dropped and a caution issued after the couple admitted possessing the drugs.

Mr Rausing was represented at yesterday’s inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court by Neil Saunders QC, who also represented ten families at the inquest into the 7 July, 2005 terrorist bombings in London.

DI Marman said officers stopped Mr Rausing’s car in Wandsworth where they searched it and discovered a small amount of drugs.

She said: “Authority was granted to search the home address. During the course of that search, officers discovered the apparently lifeless body of a female in one of the bedrooms.”

She added of Mr Rausing: “He has been arrested on suspicion of [Mrs Rausing’s] murder and we await notification of when he will be fit to be interviewed.”

A post-mortem examination – with a second pathologist for Mr Rausing present during the procedure – proved inconclusive and further test results are awaited, the officer added.

There was no comment on how long Mrs Rausing’s body had lain in the five-storey Georgian townhouse. According to reports it may have been there for several days.

It is thought a decision will made next week about when the mother-of-four’s body will be released.

The parties will return to the court on 5 October for a hearing in private to review the case.