Ellert Saevarsson, who is in his early thirties, was sentenced to 16 years in prison at the Reykjanes District Court yesterday for having murdered Haukur Sigurdsson in Reykjanesbaer, southwest Iceland, on the morning of May 8, 2010.
Reykjanesbaer municipality. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
The two men are believed to have met by coincidence after a night of partying. They were both heavily drunk. After a conversation, Saevarsson attacked Sigurdsson, causing the latter serious head trauma from which he died, Morgunbladid reports.
Saevarsson punched the victim with his fist, kicked his head and threw a curbstone to the back of his head. According to the ruling, there is no reason to doubt Saevarsson’s guilt.
“The attack was violent and brutal and the defendant must have been clear that it would cause the victim’s death. The punishment is justified by the defendant’s behavior,” the ruling reads.
Saevarsson confessed before the court to having attacked Sigurdsson but could not explain the reason for the attack and claimed not to remember it.
In addition to the prison sentence, the convicted is to pay Sigurdsson’s widow ISK 3.1 million (USD 27,000, EUR 20,000) in compensation and ISK 2.3 million (USD 20,000, EUR 15,000) in legal costs.
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