The 13 men convicted in the case faced the appeals jury's decision at Gulating Court of Appeals on Friday morning. Eleven of the defendants were charged with grand larceny with death resulting, two, Thomas Oscar Ingebrigtsen (27) and William Pettersen (58), were only charged with complicity in grand larceny.
The commando-style raid on the Norwegian Cash Service headquarters in downtown Stavanger on April 5, 2004 was the most brutal robbery in Norwegian history. The thieves made of with NOK 57 million (USD million) and police officer Arne Sigve Klungland (53), was shot to death during the getaway.
The resulting investigation was the most expensive and extensive in Norwegian history, and became linked to the theft of the Munch masterpieces Madonna and The Scream, which apparently were stolen in order to overload the resources of national police.
David Toska, (31), the so-called mastermind of the robbery, and Kjell Alrich Schumann (40) are the only two who have admitted guilt to the charges. Only Thomas Oscar Ingebrigtsen has admitted to the charge of being a member of a criminal group.
In the original trial all 13 defendants were found guilty. The appeals trial began in the autumn of 2006
On Friday the jury acquitted one of the accused, Thomas Thendrup, who had originally been sentenced to 16 years in preventative custody. This decision was not accepted by the professional judges that oversee Norwegian appeals trials by jury.
The judges found unanimously that Thomas Thendrup was guilty beyond reasonable doubt and so he faces a new round in court to establish his guilt or innocence.
When sentencing takes place the convicted will be hoping to avoid forvaring, indefinite preventative custody that in practical terms can be a life sentence, and which extends beyond the maximum prison term of 21 years.
