The young Norwegian man convicted of stabbing one of his friends to death on the night before Halloween two years ago, and trying to kill another, has been sentenced to compulsory psychiatric care.
The 23-year-old was deemed to have been psychotic when he suddenly went on the attack in the apartment he shared with the friend whom he severely wounded. His victim who died was said to have suffered 18 stabbing wounds, one of them 22 centimeters deep.
At issue was whether he was sufficiently mentally ill to avoid prison. Prosecutors had claimed he was merely under the influence of cannabis and demanded he be sentenced to 16 years in jail. The normal prison term for murder in Norway is just 12 years, reported newspaper Dagsavisen.
The man’s defense attorney, however, argued that he has had other episodes of psychosis and therefore couldn’t be sentenced to a normal prison term. Only one of four court-appointed psychiatrists disagreed.
newsinenglish.no staff
