Man accused of killing his brother says he remembers no fight

Yesterday was the first day of hearings in the South Iceland District Court in the case of a man accused of killing his brother at a farm in South Iceland in the morning of March 31. Valur Lýðsson, is accused of killing his brother Ragnar at Valur’s farm Gýgjarhóll II in Bláskógabyggð district.

In court, Valur testified that he does not remember a fight between himself and his brother. But they had been drinking “a lot,” he stated, in the evening of March 30.

Valur is accused of hitting his brother repeatedly in the head and body, in addition to kicking him – injuries which lead to his death.

A statement by Valur’s defense lawyer, Ólafur Björnsson, demands that the accused be acquitted of manslaughter or convicted for physical assault, for his intent to kill his brother has not been proven, and he may possible have taken his brother for a burglar, due to his intoxication.

Valur himself called the Emergency Line 112 to report that his brother was lying in a pool of blood. The defense lawyer claims that the prosecutor bases his case to a large extent on the phone call, in which Valur appears to admit to the crime. That, Ólafur stated, cannot be done, since Valur was in shock and intoxicated.

Valur stated he does not remember what happened that night. He, Ragnar and a third brother were all gathered at the farm that night. The third brother went to bed early and did not witness the conflict between the other two.

Valur testified the brothers disagreed that night and he remembers a “mean-looking face,” but is not sure whether it was his brother’s. When he woke up the next morning, he found his brother Ragnar dead on the floor. He does not remember a fight between them, he stated. “Of course it occurred to me to take my own life, when it looked highly likely that I had been involved in this,” Valur stated.

The hearings are set to resume on Monday, when Sebastian Kunz, forensic pathologist, takes the stand.