Starting his summing-up on Monday, state prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø said Høiby was “not a monster” and should be judged for what he had done, not for who he was.
Going through the charges on Wednesday, Henriksbø and police attorney Andreas Kruszewski recommended the punishments they believed Høiby should face.
Three of the rape charges should command a two-year term in jail, and a fourth should receive a three-year term, Henriksbø told the court.
In all four rape cases the women were either asleep or otherwise incapacitated, and in his defence Høiby told the court early in the trial, “I don’t sleep with women who aren’t awake”.
In three of the cases police found videos taken of the women at the time. He is accused of filming them without consent, and the condition of the women at the time of the four alleged rapes has become a significant element of the trial.
The state prosecutor said on Wednesday that the fact that sexual intercourse had taken place beforehand was not relevant to the case. He also told the court that the charges of rape and abuse in close relationships were very serious offences that required a response.
“Rape can leave lasting scars and destroy lives,” he said.
While the defendant’s lawyers have denied the most serious charges of rape and assault, commentators believe that he is likely to receive a reduced sentence for offences he has admitted to in court.
One of them is transporting 3.5kg of marijuana, with others involving reckless driving and driving without a valid licence. The drug charge itself could command a sentence of 11 months in jail.