Man remanded in custody for fatal stabbing of mother in Breiðholt

A man in his 40s has been remanded in custody, suspected of fatally stabbing his mother in Breiðholt. Previously, he was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2022 for assaulting her, and he had also been committed to a secure psychiatric unit after stabbing his father in 2006.

The suspect has a long criminal history, including a violent attack on his father where he stabbed him in the back, resulting in a knife embedded in him upon the arrival of emergency services. It was noted that the man was on weekend leave from a psychiatric facility when he attacked his father. Reports indicate that police had frequently monitored him in the psychiatric unit due to his aggressive behavior towards staff members.

In court, the father testified about previous violent incidents against the mother, including a knife threat that left a cut on her clothing. The man was later declared unfit for trial and placed in a secure institution. A forensic psychiatrist reported that he began drinking alcohol at age 11 and had been in various institutions from age 13, struggling to live independently due to a psychotic disorder.

In 2019, he received a nine-month sentence for breaching a restraining order but was deemed fit to stand trial. In 2022, he was convicted for violent assaults against his mother regarding disagreements over funeral arrangements after his father passed away. The court emphasized the gravity of the attack, given his elderly mother’s vulnerable state following her husband’s death.

Now, just two years after his release, he faces serious charges once again.