A murder trial in Oslo involving a convict often called Norway’s “most dangerous man,” Stig Millehaugen, was disrupted Tuesday morning after a new fight broke out in the courthouse, allegedly between gang members linked to the case.
Police evacuated murder defendant Millehaugen from the courtroom just as a key witness was in the midst of testifying about a gang war related to the murder. Police brusquely claimed Millehaugen “needed a break.,” but the abrupt and highly unusual disruption reportedly stemmed from fears for the safety of those in the courtroom, even though the trial is under armed guard.
The fight broke out in the courthouse lobby while the trial was proceeding upstairs. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that one man, bleeding from the head, was driven off in an ambulance.
Millehaugen, who has a long criminal record, is charged with murdering the former leader of the gang Young Guns in January 2009. The murder has been tied to a gang war between the so-called B-gjengen and the Young Guns. Millehaugen, age 41, has denied guilt. He faces Norway’s harshest punishment, 21 years of protective custody called forvaring, which in practice can keep him in custody for life.
Views and News staff
