Mass murderer Anders Breivik asks for permission to leave prison for mother's funeral

The far-right fanatic is said to be 'grieving' his loss

Anders Breivik during his trial last year (AP)

Jailed Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik has asked to be allowed to leave prison to attend his mother’s funeral.

The far-right fanatic, who was jailed for 21 years after killing 77 people in Norway’s worst peacetime massacre, is said to be “grieving” his loss.

His lawyer, Tord Jordet, said it is up to the prison board to decide whether he can go and pay his respects.

Breivik’s mother, Wenche Behring Breivik, died on Friday after a long battle with ill-health. She was 66.

She met her son at Ila Prison, near Oslo, earlier this month. “He was allowed to say goodbye. They both knew it would be the final meeting,” Mr Jordet told The Associated Press. “I spoke to him this morning. He was grieving. It was very sad news to him.”

Wenche had been in contact with her son over the phone in recent months, and he is said to have “regarded her as a good mother” despite their “completely opposite ideological views”. Mr Jordet said they had a “good mother and son relationship”.

In July 2011, Breivik detonated a car bomb outside government offices in Oslo, killing eight people, and then drove to the island of Utoya, where he massacred 69 in a shooting spree at a summer camp.

A year later, the Oslo District Court found Breivik guilty of terrorism and premeditated murder for the attacks. His mother never attended his 10-week trial for health reasons, but in a statement read out in court she said her son had fabricated information.

Since his incarceration, the 34-year-old has complained that his coffee was served cold, he didn’t have enough butter for his bread, and he was forced to go without moisturiser.