The defendant explained on Wednesday what she believes happened on the night of the murder and the day before. She remembers little of the incident itself, but claims that she feared for her life the night she killed her spouse with a bat. The murder took place in an apartment at Hovenga in Porsgrunn on the night of 27 November last year. The mother of 22-year-old Rønning witnessed the fatal violence. This is the case: Photo: Stig Bolme / news On the night of 27 November, Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) was beaten to death with a bat by his girlfriend in an apartment at Hovenga in Porsgrunn. Only a few days earlier the couple had rented and moved into the apartment. The murder victim was born a woman, but saw herself as a man. The accused spouse is legally a man but wishes to be referred to as a woman. A now 19-year-old woman has been charged with the murder. She was 18 years old when the incident took place. Rønning’s mother witnessed parts of her son’s murder as she waited outside the couple’s apartment. The two visited the emergency room in Porsgrunn the evening before the murder occurred, in connection with an episode of violence between the two. The defendant then called the police, but they did not intervene. The deceased’s survivors believe the murder could have been prevented if they had come to the scene. The special unit is now investigating whether the police could have acted differently. The trial started on Monday 17 June. The prosecution has announced that they will ask for a custodial sentence, while defender Heidi Ysen is asking for a full acquittal. You can read more about developments in the investigation here. Chaotic period The defendant is wearing a black jumper and sweatpants with white stripes when she takes her place in the witness box on the third day of the trial. She answers all questions calmly and comprehensively, and consistently refers to her spouse by the middle name Ravn. Much of the trial is about who controlled who in the relationship, and what was the reason for the murder itself. The police are investigating the apartment at Hovenga in Porsgrunn, where the murder took place. Photo: Richard Aune / news They had bought the blue aluminum bat, which later became a murder weapon, at XXL in Porsgrunn a few days before. The two must have been preoccupied with weapons during this period, she says. Rønning constantly carried a small butcher’s ax in his inner pocket if they moved outside, the defendant claims. – We called this the meat tit, she says. This was a weapon that also features in the adventure game the two have been very keen on. Chaotic period The accused recounts in detail the dramatic 24-hour period in November. They had just moved into Hovenga, having married at the town hall in Larvik four days before. The 19-year-old describes it as a chaotic period. The defendant explains in court that she remembers little of the murder itself in the apartment at Hovenga. Photo: Richard Aune / news They were often intoxicated, had minimal contact with others, and made plans related to a game they were interested in. The couple also stood out in that they spoke English to each other. – As long as we had each other and didn’t end up on the streets, it was OK, she says. – It was the two of you against the world? asks prosecutor Helene Holtvedt. – Yes, says the defendant, who is legally a man, but wants to be referred to as a woman. The deceased was born female, but saw himself as male. Violent fight Glad to have found a place to live after a tiring period, the couple slept long into the morning of November 26. There was almost no furniture in the apartment, with the exception of dining furniture and some pictures on the walls. – The only thing we could sleep on were two sofas, she remembers. They eventually started playing online. A discussion quickly developed into an argument, which ended in a violent fight in the hallway, explains the 19-year-old, who herself thought she had tried to leave the apartment. It did not allow the deceased, she claims. She also claims that the deceased retrieved the bat and threatened her with it. Went to the emergency room together. Both are said to have suffered injuries during the fight. Rønning wanted to go to the emergency room. A few weeks earlier, the deceased had taken a pregnancy test, which the couple perceived as positive. They therefore thought Rønning was pregnant, and wanted to check this. The agreement between the couple was that they should say that the 22-year-old had fallen, but that they should also document any other injuries to both of them, she says from the witness box. The couple went to Porsgrunn emergency room on the same evening as the murder. Photo: Berit Heggholmen / news At the emergency room, the deceased is said to have explained that he said this in order to be able to leave the apartment, which has been confirmed by a doctor who has been summoned as a witness in the case. The patient explained that it was about violence in close relationships. A nurse also confirms that Rønning was terrified of going home. He is said to have expressed that he had nowhere to go, and that he crossed a border and would “be beaten to death” if he went home. Hit the knee first From the emergency room, the defendant called the police to explain his part of the story, in case the spouse should submit a report, she says. – I’m calling to be a precaution, and file a report on him, she says to the police, and goes on to tell about what she believes was the course of events that evening. She is encouraged to report the relationship. She then went home alone. After midnight the doorbell rang. – It’s Ravn calling and asking me to unlock it. He speaks Norwegian. It was unusual when it was just the two of us. That’s why I thought something had happened, she says. – I went out and met him at the front door. He said that if he wasn’t out again in ten minutes, the police would come. Rønning is said to have then explained that he was going to tell about what had happened. The accused began to get anxious, she says. – I grabbed the bat because I was afraid he would hurt me. He stood in front of me and reached for his jacket pocket, where I knew his knife was. I hit his calf first to get him off me. He got up and stood as normal, says the 19-year-old. After this, the memories are very unclear, according to the defendant. The deceased’s mother witnessed the murder. She has explained that it took 10 seconds from the time her son left her car until she heard screams from the apartment. – I can’t get that to vote, says the spouse accused of murder. The policeman who was first on the scene also testified in court today. He tells of a very violent experience at work. He was out on another mission when he was sent alone towards Hovenga, and arrived alone as the first man on the scene. The policeman heard the mother’s desperate cries in the background, and immediately set about entering the apartment. – It’s a scream I’ll never forget, he says in court. This also applies to the sight that met him in the living room. Published 19.06.2024, at 17.01
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Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) killed in Porsgrunn – the accused explains himself in court – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
