A$AP Rocky was found guilty of assault by a Swedish court on Wednesday.
The Harlem rapper and his crew had been hoping that he would be found not guilty, but ultimately that didn’t go in their favor. The panel of four judges outlined their reasons for finding A$AP Rocky and his two friends guilty of assault even though his attorney claimed self-defense. According to TMZ, the judges ruled that the three men “were not in a situation where they were entitled to self-defense.”
Rocky and his associates claimed that the assault victim instigates the street brawl by provoking them and following them. Some portions of the all-out brawl were captured on video and posted online. The prosecutors and defense team also used the videos to argue their case in the court. At the center of the trial was whether or not A$AP Rocky threw a bottle at the victim. The prosecutor argued that the bottle was used to inflicted severe bodily harm.
In the end, A$AP Rocky conceded that he was holding a bottle in his hand during the brawl, but it was for self-defense. He also denied ever using it to hit the victim saying that he later put it down when he felt it was no longer necessary to use it and defend himself. In the end, the prosecutor could not prove that the rapper used the bottle to hit the victim.
The judge sentenced A$AP Rocky to time served after he spent several weeks in jail before his trial. Even though he received a suspended sentence, Rocky will have to pay some fees and fines, but those are not yet revealed. The fines and fees will cover court costs and restitution to the victim.
The main reasons why A$AP and his two co-accused were found guilty was because they were hitting and kicking the victim while he was on the ground.
