A 45-year-old man charged in the murder of a neighbour at Skøyen in Oslo three years ago has been acquitted, after a city court judge ruled there was a lack of evidence.
The 45-year-old has been in and out of police custody since his neighbour Vegard Bjerck was found stabbed to death in the garage of their residential complex on December 18, 2008.
Prosecutors believed the 45-year-old had been vandalizing cars in the garage’s guest parking area, when he was surprised by Bjerck and stabbed him panic. They sought an 11-year jail term.
The defendant had consistently maintained his innocence, and claimed he was home with his daughter and working on his computer at the time of the murder. His defense attorney had argued that computer files gave him an alibi, but police maintained he would have had time to commit the vandalism and murder.
The judge ruled there was no evidence to prove that, and granted an acquittal. The prosecution has 14 days to file an appeal.
Views and News staff
