Norwegian Plumber Sentenced for Stabbing Coworker 10 Times for Gay Jokes

A plumber from Norway has been sentenced to time in a mental care facility, in lieu of jail, after he stabbed a coworker ten times for making jokes about him, implying the plumber is gay, Gay Star News reports.

The 42-year-old plumber, who is unnamed, was working with a younger colleague in the summer of 2012, when the young man started to joke about the plumber's sexual orientation, claiming he heard rumors that the older man was in the closet and had a secret gay lover. Later in the day, the younger man reportedly refused to listen to the elder plumber, saying he didn't want to work with "a grumpy little gay."

The comments sparked the older man to snap. He beat his coworker with some plastic piping and then stabbed him in the head and torso with a knife. When two other plumbers were able to stop him, the younger man was stabbed ten times.

When the older man was on trial for the incident, he said that he thought he was using a ruler and not a knife during the attack. The court, however, dismissed his claim. Nevertheless, the court found the plumber was in a psychotic state of mind during the attack, citing his history of mental illness requiring medication.

Despite the court's decision, a court appointed psychiatrist testified that the plumber was stable at the time of the attack.