LAMB OF GOD Frontman Acquitted Of Manslaughter

March 5, 2013

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was found not guilty of manslaughter earlier today (Tuesday, March 5) by a panel of Czech judges in the concert death of one of the metal band's fans.

Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a May 2010 incident in which a fan, Daniel Nosek, who attended a LAMB OF GOD performance in Prague, died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage.

"I have been found not guilty and acquitted of all charges against me," Randy wrote on his Instagram account. "I am a free man.

"Please remember the family of Daniel Nosek in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult time. I only wish for them peace. Thank you for your support."

Tuesday's ruling by Prague's Municipal Court was confirmed by the court spokeswoman, Marketa Puci.

"We did not find criminal responsibility in the actions of the defendant," presiding judge Tomáš Kubovec said. "We found moral responsibility. There has been the death of a young man who had not been guilty of anything."

"The acquittal does not prevent the defendant, if he feels some moral responsibility, to enter negotiations with the family of the victim and act accordingly," the judge added.

The state prosecutors have announced their intention to appeal the verdict; they have eight days to put this in writing.

Randy's trial resumed yesterday (Monday, March 4) after court was adjourned last month due to missing witnesses (two expert witnesses – criminal psychologist/psychiatrist and a girl who attended the concert).

Kubovec said the opinions found in their reports were basically the same, according to WTVR.com. However, during testimony, they disagreed on how aggressive/anti-social Blythe is.

"I would like to thank the family of Daniel Nosek for not attacking me in the press and for their kind words to me in this court," Randy said in a statement to the court before the verdict was announced (see video below). "I am very sorry for their loss.

"Daniel was a fan of my band. I had no wish to harm him. He was just a boy and I wish he was still here.

"If, ultimately, the Czech legal system sentences me to prison, I will do my sentence like a man.

"If I am to remain free, I will do my best to insure that conditions at this concert will not occur again with my band and other bands so that the fans will remain safe.

"I have searched for an answer to this situation. The only one I can find is that it was a tragic, horrible accident."

Blythe was unaware of a warrant out for his arrest when he was detained last June after arriving at the Prague airport for a show with LAMB OF GOD. He spent five weeks in custody before being released on bail in August.

The parents of the alleged victim were demanding compensation of 10 million Czech Koruna (approximately $530,000).

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).