Mistrial declared for ex-Gizmondo exec

Swedish businessman Bo Stefan Eriksson's trial for fraud and grand theft auto has come to an end, due to a hung jury 10-2 in favour of his guilt, according to the Associated Press.

Jurors told Judge Patricia Schnegg that they were unable to reach a verdict one way or the other, thus meaning the case would have to be retried, since generally a unanimous verdict from all 12 jurors is required before sentencing in the US. A spokesperson for the LA District Attorney's office confirmed it would be looking for a retrial.

In February this year, Eriksson was found inside a red Ferrari Enzo on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, which had crashed into a pole after an alleged street race with a Mercedez Benz SLR. Eriksson, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, claimed he had not been driving the Ferrari, and that the driver had in fact been a German man by the name of Dietrich, who fled the scene after the accident.

Eriksson was previously an executive for handheld maker Gizmondo, though he left the company after it was discovered that he may have links to the Swedish mafia.

Charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm--after a .357 Magnum was found in Eriksson's Bel-Air mansion after a police search--are yet to be tried. Jury selection for this trial will begin today and the trial could start as early as this week.

His head lawyer Jim Parkman said that Eriksson was "in good spirits" over the court case result.