Icelandic court sentences two men over thefts worth nearly 240,000 krónur

Two men have been sentenced for shop thefts involving goods worth a total of 239,856 krónur, mbl.is reported. One received an unconditional three-month prison sentence and the other a 45-day sentence suspended for two years.

The Reykjavík District Court issued its ruling on October 29. The man given the longer sentence was convicted of four thefts and driving under the influence of drugs while disqualified. The other man was convicted of three thefts. They committed one of the thefts together.

The man sentenced to three months in prison stole goods worth 65,669 krónur from Bónus, ELKO and Krónan stores in 2024 and 2025. This included goods worth 54,895 krónur taken with another person from an ELKO store in Skeifan. The indictment had initially put the value of those goods at 246,879 krónur, but the prosecution lowered the figure after the man challenged it.

He was also convicted of driving in Reykjavík in October 2025 under the influence of oxycodone while disqualified. He was banned from driving for three years from June 8, 2027.

The other man was convicted of thefts from Krónan on Hallveigarstígur, Bónus on Fiskislóð and Kids Coolshop at Smáratorg. The goods were worth 183,004 krónur, including an item worth 169,999 krónur stolen from Kids Coolshop.

The men stole goods worth 8,817 krónur together from Bónus on Fiskislóð in May 2025. That amount was included in each man’s individual total; counting the joint theft only once brought the combined value to 239,856 krónur.

Both men admitted the charges after the prosecution amended the indictment in response to their comments. The court found their admissions consistent with the evidence. It took the admissions into account when sentencing but said the thefts showed deliberate intent and disregard for other people’s property, even where the amounts were small.

The man given the unconditional sentence had previous convictions for theft, drug offences and traffic offences. The court said his record meant the sentence could not be suspended. The other man had previous convictions for traffic and drug offences, but not theft; the court said his record did not affect the sentence and suspended it for two years.

Each man was ordered to pay 636,120 krónur in legal fees for his court-appointed defence lawyer. The man given the three-month sentence was also ordered to pay 120,569 krónur in other court costs.