Dutch cyclist Matthieu van der Poel’s conviction for attacking two teenage girls in September at a hotel on the outskirts of Sydney was overturned in an appeal hearing today, Australian public network ABC reported.
On September 26, MVDP, one of the world’s biggest cycling stars, pleaded guilty to assaulting two teenagers and was sentenced to pay two fines, one for A$1,000 and the other for A$500, for a total of €1,010. , a decision that was overturned today by a Sydney court, runner’s lawyer Michael Bowie told ABC.
Van der Poel was arrested hours before the Wollongong World Championship distance competition was contested after an altercation with two teenagers at the hotel where he was staying.
“There was a small dispute. I wanted to go to bed early last night, but there were a lot of kids in the hotel corridor who kept knocking on my door. At some point I got tired of it. they called the police and took me away, ”the Dutch runner told reporters on September 25 before the start of the World Cup long-distance race, which he will pass about 30 kilometers after the start.
Police in New South Wales (Australia), without identifying Van der Pool, confirmed to Agence France-Presse that day that they had arrested a 27-year-old man (the same age as the cyclist) accused of two counts of “aggression”. against two teenagers.
“At 22:40 [locais, menos nove horas em Lisboa] On Saturday, a man got into a verbal altercation with two teenagers, aged 13 and 14, at a hotel in Brighton-le-Sands. According to the alleged facts, he pushed two teenagers, while one fell to the floor and the other was thrown against the wall, as a result of which he received a small scratch on his elbow,” the police said in a statement.
In the same note, the Australian East Coast State Police stated that following the incident, hotel management was “informed” and “the police were then called” and “a 27-year-old man was arrested shortly thereafter.” taken to the Kogara police station, where he “was charged with two counts of assault”.
Released on bail, Van der Poel, who was one of the top candidates for the rainbow jersey, was still lining up in the long run, won against Belgian Remco Evenepoel but ended up giving up due to being “mentally destroyed” by according to Alpecin’s manager – Phoenix, Christoph Rudhoft.
Today, according to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney Court Judge Ian Burk realized that while Van der Poole’s actions may have “troubled” young women, they were the result of “annoying and aggressive behavior” that escalated into “a significant degree of provocation.”
For ABC, the cyclist’s lawyer Michael Bow considered the overturning of the conviction “an excellent result.”
“No one wants to “carry” a life sentence. In my opinion, a guilty verdict should never have been handed down, which was confirmed by the district court,” he added.
Instead of paying fines, Van der Pool will be released on parole for 12 months, during which he must not commit any offenses, according to ABC.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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