Johannes Natland (19) from Stavanger has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for planning a contract killing in England.
“We’ve had one aim, and that is to get him back to Norway,” the 19-year-old’s Norwegian defence lawyer, Saqib Razaq, told NRK.
Tanja Rosså Ødegård, Regional Director of the Correctional Service for the South-West, tells *Aftenposten* that the Correctional Service cannot submit a request for transfer to serve a sentence in Norway. It is the British authorities who must take the initiative. As this is a serious offence, they will examine the conditions of imprisonment in Norway to ensure they are not too lenient.
Johannes Natland (19) was arrested by British counter-terrorism police in March 2025 at a hotel in Huddersfield with two weapons and ammunition, and was convicted in August of conspiracy to murder.
He has close relatives who work at Stavanger Aftenblad. His mother has spoken out in the Daily Mail, saying that her son could never have harmed anyone.
In court, the man explained that he became involved with the Swedish criminal network Foxtrot because he was in debt and needed money for drugs. He said he had no intention of killing anyone, but has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to Razaq, the man was experiencing mental health issues at the time of his arrest. The defence lawyer believes the 19-year-old must be transferred to Norway to serve his sentence. However, this can only happen once the sentence in England has become final.
“Other young people involved in the same case have mainly received community service or youth sentences, whilst my client faces life imprisonment in England,” Razaq told VG.
Last week, two teenagers were sentenced at Stavanger District Court for helping the 19-year-old.
A 17-year-old was sentenced to one year and seven months, whilst an 18-year-old was sentenced to one year’s youth detention. A 19-year-old was acquitted.
17-year-old sentenced to detention
Another 17-year-old, described as the key figure in the case, was sentenced to 14 years’ detention at Sør-Rogaland District Court in early June. He was convicted of several offences linked to Foxtrot, including complicity in two gang-related murders in Sweden – and for recruiting the 19-year-old who was arrested in England.
The judgement states that Johannes Natland travelled to England with a single purpose: to commit murder. Neither the British nor the Norwegian police have been able to establish who he had planned to kill.
