Ebad Ahmed
07 August 2024•Update: 07 August 2024
PRAGUE, Czech Republic
A local court in Copenhagen sentenced a Polish man to four months' unconditional imprisonment on Wednesday for assaulting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in June, a state media outlet reported.
According to DR, the 39-year-old man was found guilty by the Copenhagen District Court of violence against a public servant in office.
Frederiksen was on a private break from the EU Parliament elections’ campaign when the assault took place in a busy downtown Copenhagen plaza on June 7.
She was punched on her right shoulder with a clenched fist, causing her to lose her balance but not fall. She suffered minor neck and shoulder injuries as a result of the attack. The prime minister’s office said in a statement after the assault that the man “caused minor whiplash” and that the Danish leader was “shaken by the incident.”
The Polish convict informed his defense council that he would not be appealing the court verdict.
In its decision, the court reiterated that the convicted admitted to recognizing Frederiksen and that the prime minister's bodyguard described the man as aggressive.
"We have emphasized the nature and seriousness of the matter, and that the violence perpetrated against the Prime Minister was committed,” it said.
Earlier, at the preliminary hearing, the accused pleaded not guilty, claiming that he was “pleasantly surprised” to see the premier, denying any grudge against her, and believing she is a “really good prime minister.”
The accused said he does not remember much of the incident and he was at the site to enjoy his Friday evening.
The Copenhagen police maintained that there was no political motivation behind the assault, calling it "a single, spontaneous act."
In response to the attack, the premier told DR a few days after the assault: "I'm not quite at the top, and I'm not quite myself yet," adding, “It was a big scare. In that situation, you need some time with your family and those who are close to you”.
Separately, the Polish man was also found guilty of mortgage fraud. In a separate case, the man has been sentenced to a minimum six-year ban on entering Denmark.
