Ex-minister’s partner guilty as charged
January 15, 2021
The long-time live-in partner of former Justice Minister Tor Mikkel Wara was found guilty on Friday of making repeated and false threats, not only against him but also against two of his political colleagues in the conservative Progress Party. The Oslo County Court equated Laila Bertheussen’s offenses, which she also tried to pin on others, as an attack on democracy, and sentenced her to one year and eight months in jail.
Tor Mikkel Wara of the Progress Party had to resign as Norway’s justice minister in charge of the police and the courts, when his own live-in partner, Laila Bertheussen, was charged with making false threats against him and other top politicians including one of Wara’s fellow ministers. Bertheussen, who has refused to allow her photo to be taken in court, was convicted and sentenced on Friday to 20 months in jail for plotting and carrying out what the court equated to an “attack on democracy.�
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OSLO (Reuters) - The partner of Norway’s former justice minister was found guilty of threatening democracy and sentenced to 20 months in prison on Friday in a case involving faked attacks on her family home and the torching of her car.
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Laila Anita Bertheussen, 56, had pleaded not guilty to all charges and rejected the prosecution’s claim that she had sought to generate sympathy for the family by blaming an anti-racist theatre group for the incidents.
“We are in no doubt that the case was thoroughly investigated,” Oslo district court judge Yngvild Thue said in reading the unanimous verdict in a case that has gripped the nation.
15 Jan 2021 / 22:18 H. Norwegian minister resigned in 2019 after partner s arrest Partner was accused of fire, vandalism, threats Court sentences her to 20 months prison A case of arson, graffiti and theatre (Adds appeal of verdict)
By Terje Solsvik
OSLO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The partner of Norway s former justice minister was found guilty of threatening democracy and sentenced to 20 months in prison on Friday in a case involving faked attacks on her family home and the torching of her car.
Laila Anita Bertheussen, 56, had pleaded not guilty to all charges and rejected the prosecution s claim that she had sought to generate sympathy for the family by blaming an anti-racist theatre group for the incidents.