Landsréttur acquits Steinþór Ólafsson of manslaughter charges in Ólafsfjörður

The Landsréttur court today acquitted Steinþór Ólafsson, who had been charged with manslaughter in connection with an incident in Ólafsfjörður. Previously, he was sentenced to eight years in prison by the District Court of North Iceland. The case revolves around allegations that Steinþór fatally stabbed Tómas Waagfjörð in his home in October 2022.

According to the facts presented, it was Tómas who initially brought a knife to the scene and made several attempts to attack Steinþór. The court did not accept the defense argument that Steinþór acted in self-defense. Steinþór’s lawyer had pointed out that the sentence issued by the lower court was disproportionately harsh compared to what the prosecutor had indicated might be appropriate.

All legal costs related to the case will be covered by the state. The judgment was announced in Landsréttur at 3:00 PM today, but the court’s reasoning for the acquittal has not yet been made public. The detailed verdict is expected to be released later today.