A 21-year-old has been sentenced to community service and nearly 93 000 kronor in damages for assault.
This follows an incident that occurred during a junior ice hockey match, reports Aftonbladet.
The incident took place in a J20 match in January 2022. A player on the bench squirted water at an opponent on the ice, who responded by turning around and hitting him in the face with his stick, causing his jaw to break in several places.
At the time, there was no medical personnel on site, so the coach had to call the emergency services himself. It was later confirmed at the hospital that the jaw had broken in several places and several teeth had been knocked out.
In 2023, the opposing player was acquitted of aggravated assault but was ordered to pay damages of over 66 000 kronor. This was because he was deemed to have caused the injuries through negligence.
This was appealed to the Court of Appeal, which delivered its verdict on Monday.
Thomas Bodström is the defendant's lawyer. He tells TT that he is pleased with the verdict.
Regarding the 21-year-old's view on the verdict, he says:
The defendant claimed in court that it was an accident to hit the player in the face and that the intention was to hit the water bottle.
It is unusual for incidents that occur during a match to lead to a court case in Sweden.
It is rare for violence at the highest level of sports in Sweden to reach the legal system. Here are a few notable cases in ice hockey that have led to prosecution or have been investigated by prosecutors:
+ In 1981, Djurgården player Peter Wallin cross-checked Björklöven's Lennart Norberg in the face during an Elitserien match. Wallin was reported to the police and charged with assault. Wallin was given a conditional sentence and fines in the district court, but was later acquitted in the Court of Appeal.
+ In 1982, Södertälje player Kent "Kneten" Andersson was reported to the police after an attack on Almtunabacken Stefan Gundt. Andersson was charged with assault, but was acquitted in the summer of 1983.
+ In 2015, Rögle defender André Deveaux swung his stick at Västerås Per Helmersson during the warm-up before the fourth SHL qualifying match. Deveaux was sacked by Rögle and was arrested in his absence. When the Canadian did not return to Sweden, the investigation was dropped due to it not being possible to expect the prosecution to be transferred to Canada.
+ In 2015, Rögle's Jakob Lilja cross-checked Malmö defender Jens Olsson in the neck during an SHL match. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where Lilja was sentenced to a conditional sentence for assault.
+ In 2017, Thomas Larkin tackled Brynäs forward Daniel Paille in a CHL match, ending Paille's career. Larkin was charged with assault but was acquitted after four years by Gävle District Court.
