This headline or description can be restated as: Transformation of [process] - Principal suspect rejects imprisonment for setting off fireworks.
Following a three-year prison sentence for hurling a powerful firecracker and injuring a dozen people during a Bundesliga match between Augsburg and Hoffenheim, the primary offender has filed an appeal. The Augsburg regional court revealed this information on Tuesday. It stated that the 28-year-old is seeking an appeal to the Federal Court of Justice. Three of the man's friends, who received suspended sentences for aiding and abetting, have, however, accepted the ruling.
The trio was convicted because they were all responsible for the detonation of an illegal, high explosive firecracker during a football game at the Augsburg arena. The Nov. 11, 2023 match between FC Augsburg and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (1:1) was temporarily disrupted. Reports indicate that twelve individuals, including several children, sustained injuries, primarily from hearing damage.
The firecracker thrower himself confessed to igniting and tossing the explosive. He also expressed remorse to those hurt. Defense counsel initially pleaded for a two-year sentence that would be suspended; however, the court found a proper prison term necessary for causing an explosion of explosives and inflicting bodily harm. Notably, the accused had been in custody since committing the crime.
The presiding judge also reinforced that the accused's actions jeopardized the safety of 26,000 spectators in the stadium by setting off a massive explosion. An expert witness from the police, well-versed in attending Hoffenheim matches, asserted in court that he had initially perceived the unusually loud explosion as a potential terrorist attack.
Hoffenheim responded to the firecracker incident in a statement.
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Source: www.stern.de
