Sturla Sighvatsson had supported the sons of Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson when they killed the rapacious chieftain Þorvaldr Snorrason of Vatnsfjörður at the burning of Gillastaðir in Króksfjörður in 1228.
During the winter after the burning of Þorvaldr the brothers rode by night to Sauðafell in the Dalir region, where Sturla lived, only to find that he was not at home.
After threatening Solveig Sæmundardóttir, Sturla's wife, in her bedchamber, they departed with all the booty they could carry.
[1] The account of the raid in Íslendinga saga indicates that it was considered a great scandal by many contemporary Icelanders, not least because of Snorri's involvement.
[2] Sturla avenged himself on 8 March 1232, when he ambushed Þórðr and Snorri Þorvaldsson and had them both summarily executed.