A 22-minute audio recording reveals a heavily intoxicated man in his 30s speaking incoherently about a fatal incident. The man admits losing control during an altercation with Linea Bjørnnes. He told investigators he stuffed toilet paper into her mouth and covered it with a scarf.
"I lost control. Things went too far," the man repeats in the recording played during the court proceedings in Trondheim.
According to the prosecution, the man suffocated Bjørnnes by obstructing her airway. Police officers transporting him after arrest noted he spoke rapidly and made little sense.
Bjørnnes was found lifeless in her apartment on December 17 last year. She died the following morning at St. Olavs Hospital despite emergency efforts.
Ambulance personnel testified they found Bjørnnes without breath but with a beating heart. Doctors performed CPR before airlifting her to the hospital.
Medical staff described her condition as extremely serious upon arrival. They attempted life support for about an hour before ending treatment.
Chief Prosecutor Kaia Strandjord stated the accused appeared fully aware of his actions during the incident. She believes he was mentally competent at the time.
The autopsy report cited brain damage from oxygen deprivation as the cause of death. Pathologists found no natural explanation for how the oxygen loss occurred.
Bjørnnes had injuries around her mouth and lips. Amphetamines were detected in her system, though doctors considered this unlikely to have caused her death.
The defendant acknowledges placing objects in Bjørnnes's mouth but denies criminal responsibility. His lawyer claims the man believes his actions didn't directly cause her death.
He described attempting to calm a heated argument by covering her mouth. "I wanted to control the unrest in the situation," he explained.
The case continues as prosecutors seek murder convictions while the defense challenges causation. Norwegian courts face the complex task of determining responsibility when intoxication and conflicting accounts obscure events.