THE man who killed the Swedish foreign minister, Anna Lindh, attacked her savagely, inflicting wounds to her chest and abdomen, a coroner said yesterday, a day after the defendant denied that he had intended to kill.

Mijailo Mijailovic, 25, has confessed to the attack on 10 September while Ms Lindh was shopping in a Stockholm department store.

Mijailovic slashed her with at least five thrusts, the coroner, Henrik Druid, said on the trial’s second day.

Mijailovic, born of Serbian parents, said on Wednesday when the trial opened he had been unable to resist "inner voices" urging him to cut down Ms Lindh, 46.

If the prosecution can prove intent to kill, Mijailovic faces up to life in prison.

Yesterday Eva Franchell, a friend who accompanied Ms Lindh on the shopping trip, testified how Mijailovic had rushed past her to push himself "perversely" close to Ms Lindh’s body, pressing her up against a clothes rack.

"My memory of the attack is that it was very frightening and aggressive," Ms Franchell said. She said she saw the assailant jab Ms Lindh in the stomach but had not seen a knife.

The prosecutor said Mijailovic saw Ms Lindh from a distance and planned the murder for at least several minutes. But Mijailovic said he had acted on impulse and had nothing personal against Ms Lindh and no intention to kill.

Mr Druid said Ms Lindh had been stabbed five to nine times, including the mortal wound at least 2in into the abdomen, which damaged her liver.

Documents submitted to the court by the prosecutor, who wants Mijailovic convicted for murder, said Mr Druid’s testimony showed that the wounds had been inflicted with intent to kill.

One thrust had cut through Ms Lindh’s radius bone, one of two bones in the lower arm, Mr Druid said. "The force necessary was considerable. Everyone can imagine how strong a bone is."

Mijailovic, who was convicted in 1997 of stabbing his father, refused yesterday to answer further questions but looked calm throughout the hearing.

Ms Lindh’s murder is the most high-profile crime in Sweden since the unsolved 1986 assassination of the prime minister, Olof Palme. The trial was adjourned until Monday.