Appeal court increases sentence for Akureyri attack

Iceland’s Court of Appeal has increased a young man’s sentence for a particularly dangerous assault in Akureyri from 10 months’ suspended imprisonment to 18 months, with 15 months suspended for two years, mbl.is reported. The court upheld an order for him to pay the victim ISK 1 million in compensation.

The man was convicted of assault, not attempted murder. Both the district court and the Court of Appeal found that the prosecution had not proved he intended to kill the victim.

The attack happened outside a nightclub by Ráðhústorg square in Akureyri in the early hours of 3 August 2024. The defendant was 17 at the time. The court found that he inflicted three wounds on another man with a sharp-edged object: one to the chest and two to the back.

The object was never found, and the wounds did not establish what kind of instrument had been used. The district court nevertheless found the defendant responsible based on video footage, witness testimony and medical evidence.

The Court of Appeal said the wounds could have been life-threatening but it would be unsafe to conclude that the defendant must have foreseen that his attack could cause death. The men’s altercation lasted about 15 seconds, the court noted.

The district court had sentenced the man to 10 months in prison in September last year, with the full term suspended for two years. The prosecution sought a longer sentence on appeal, while the defendant sought acquittal or, alternatively, a lighter sentence that would be fully suspended.

In setting the new sentence, the Court of Appeal cited the seriousness of the offence, the use of a bladed weapon and the victim’s significant injuries. It also took account of the fact that the attack occurred during a confrontation. The defendant’s young age and clean criminal record were the main reasons 15 months of the sentence were suspended.

The court upheld the ISK 1 million compensation award, plus interest. The victim had sought ISK 3.5 million. A separate claim for ISK 500,000 for medical expenses and property damage was dismissed because it was inadequately explained and unsupported by evidence.

The man must also pay ISK 5,061,498 in legal costs from the district court case and ISK 2,426,288 in appeal costs, bringing the total to ISK 7,487,786.