 In 1568, King Eric XIV beat his secretary Martin Olai Helsingius to death with a stove poker.Martin had allegedly advised the king against pardoning his former secretary Jöran Persson, who was a very trusted advisor and friend of the king, but whom the Swedish people despised.Persson had been accused of causing the looting of Svartsjö Palace in 1567 and the Sture murders the same year.