Crime scene snaps showing a knife lodged in a wall are the latest headache for the Norwegian royal family, going public a week after the crown princess’ son was arrested.
Marius Borg Høiby, 27, was taken into custody and tossed in solitary confinement on Aug. 4 after he “psychologically and physically” attacked his girlfriend and damaged her Oslo apartment, reported Se og Hør.
Now, photos published by Se og Hór this week have shown his girlfriend’s damaged home, with a shattered chandelier lying on the ground and the eerily out-of-place chef’s knife stuck in the wall.
The Norwegian magazine also reported that a recorded call—intercepted from Skaugum Estate—also captured Høiby threatening to “set fire to and burn the girl’s clothes and belongings.” Høiby has denied all accusations levied against him.
Other details about the allegedly violent episode remain unknown, but police said in a statement that the alleged victim, a woman in her 20s, was not seriously injured by the “physical abuse.”
Høiby no longer has an official role in Norway’s royal family, but he’s been among its most prominent faces after his mom, Mette-Marit, wedded Crown Prince Haakon in 2001—the man who’s next in line to be king.
Mette-Marit had Høiby from a previous relationship. She and Haakon have welcomed in two children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandria, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18. They are second and third in line to the Norwegian throne.
Høiby has been criticized for not carrying himself like his royal siblings, mom, and stepdad. He’s gotten a number of tattoos and reportedly works as a motorcycle mechanic, having stepped down from royal duties when he was 20.
Høiby is now facing a sentence of up to a year in prison after his arrest, and one of his ex-girlfriends has since spoken out on Instagram suggesting he’s acted violently previously.
Juliane Snekkestad posted that she no longer wanted to be “silent” about the alleged matter. She said bluntly, “This has happened before. And this must be stopped now.” No other details were shared.
Høiby’s arrest was at the center of rumors in Norway last week. Before the incident became public, Mette-Marit’s trip to Paris to see Norwegian athletes to compete in the Olympics was delayed.
When Haakon arrived in the French capital alone, he told reporters his wife’s absence was due to a “serious matter” and declined to comment any further. News of the arrest arrived not long later, and Mette-Marit joined her husband in Paris on Friday.