The deceased was a man in his 40s. The incident took place in Stavanger on New Year’s Day.
Three men were charged with grievous bodily harm resulting in death, confirmed police prosecutor Unni Byberg Malmin.
– The three are still charged, but all will be released this afternoon, Byberg Malmin tells VG at 3pm on Friday.
This is because the conditions for imprisonment have not been met, she says further.
The police have secured the necessary leads, and there is no danger of evidence being tampered with.
Thought the man stole
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The police received a report on Thursday evening that three people had taken physical control of a person on a construction site.
– In connection with this, the person in question stopped breathing. CPR was started on the spot and the person was transported by ambulance to Stavanger University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead approx. at 22.51, the police write.
The background to the incident is said to have been that the three believed that the now dead man intended to steal from the construction site, and confronted him about it. They must have cooperated in keeping the person down.
The three are said to be neighbors to where the work was going on, and contacted the police themselves.
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– Confronted the man
The three accused men who have now been released are in their 20s, 40s and 60s, says police prosecutor Kjetil Solhaug to VG. There is no family relationship between them, and they have no connection to the construction site or the deceased.
The police state that the three are not known to them from before. The police have secured blood samples from the three accused, and there is no suspicion of intoxication, says police attorney Byberg Malmin.
The deceased must have been known to the police from before, in connection with crime for profit, writes Stavanger Aftenblad. There has not yet been an appointed public prosecutor, the police inform VG.
Not admitting guilt
Lawyer Erik Lerum has been appointed as defense counsel for the man in his 20s.
– He was questioned today and does not plead guilty. He will be released shortly, Lerum told VG earlier Friday.
He said his client is connected to the incident, but did not want to go into details about it.
Lawyer Ørjan Eskeland is defending the man in his 60s, and has also been in questioning with his client, he tells VG.
– He does not plead guilty. From what he explains, they had a legal reason to hold the man, and the incident had a terribly tragic outcome, which my client could never have imagined would happen then and there.
– What do they think is a legal reason for holding the man?
– That they believe they caught him attempting to steal. The three are neighbors and came together because they observed the man outside and thought he had dishonest intentions.
Theft in the area not long ago
It was the man in his 60s who called the police, says the defender.
– They had the police on the line all the time. They wanted the police to come and arrest the man.
The whistleblower’s audio log is subsequently secured by the police, says police lawyer Unni Byberg Malmin.
– We do not want to go further into what the accused have explained in questioning, she says to VG.
There must have been a theft or similar incident in the area not too long ago, says defense counsel for the man in his 60s, Ørjan Eskeland.
– But I don’t have any more information about it now.
– How is your client now?
– He is clear that this is tragic to be involved in, says Eskeland, who later states that his client is relieved to have been released.
Lawyer Anne Kroken defends the man in his 40s.
– He has explained himself and pleads not guilty. It is my view that my client has done nothing criminal. He is deeply affected by the tragic outcome, she tells VG.
– No signs that anything has been stolen
The three accused gave initial statements at the scene last night. On Friday, they were questioned again, and the police are conducting witness interviews and investigations at the scene. As of now, they are not aware that there were witnesses, and the police have not found video surveillance of the incident either.
– It is too early to give more details about the motive and sequence of events, says police attorney Unni Byberg Malmin.
The balcony contractor manages the construction site in question, in connection with a facade project in the area.
– There are no signs that anything has been stolen from there, says general manager Gisle Krogedal to VG.
– Inside the construction site there are two lifts, a spade and a ladder, which were also there before, he says.
Krogedal was at the construction site this morning and said the area looks the same as it did when the company took its Christmas break on 22 December. His employees have not been there since, he says.
– Several are restless
The company has not experienced theft in the past, and the day-to-day manager is also not aware of any other incidents on the construction site before.
– It is very sad, he says about what has happened.
Tore Harpestad Nilsen runs a Bottom Price shop in the area.
To VG he says that there are several police blockades there, which he thought was connected to another violent incident that took place in the same area on the morning of New Year’s Day.
The area is largely peaceful and quiet, with several blocks of flats and apartments.
– Several of the customers who have visited today are worried. I feel sorry for the people who live around here. They may be worried, after what has happened, says Nilsen.
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