Banged up abroad

[mothy]

Personally I'd be looking for a local solicitor (local to where you were nicked) who will take your case and will be able to explain what's actually happening. Legal systems can be vastly different to ours, even in EU countries. The EU arrest warrant means this absolutely won't go away.

You need to know what you've been charged with and whether you have the option of going to court. Unless you unwittingly admitted it at the time and this is just a formality

What evidence do they have against you? What did you say in your initial statement when you were first arrested? Have you got a contact for the girl?

Like I said, you need a professional in Germany.

i have contact with the girl who has said she would write in my defence..

i may have said that i pushed him.. (he lost 2 teeth, a trip to hospital & a brain contusion (whatever that is)..

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

If the girl in question has gone home then I don't see how you can defend yourself. Unfortunately the Germans are very strict on drunken brawls. You will have to face the music. Tell the truth and rest assured that their legal system is very robust and fair.

I feel sorry for you. It sounds like you were trying to stop a very nasty situation but as you have said you drank 10 litres of German lager prior to the fight is it possible that your memory of what was happening was flawed?

Edit. I just read your last post. Ignore my question.

 

[Nibble]

So, you drank over 10 litres of beer, claim to have knocked a man out because you believed he was sexually assaulting someone, but she is in the US so will unlikely back you up, you are arrested, you pay bail and have a giggle about it with the German Police who laughingly tell you to forget it. Some time later, there has been a trial and sentence passed in your absence and now, the first bit of paperwork you receive since the incident tells you you're gonna be banged up?

If this is the case you will fight and win this.

However, I suspect you aren't really telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Fuhrer.

 

[happypig]

Anyone got any experience of this?

A few months back on a lads trip I had an unfortunate alcohol related incident & got arrested. Having paid a lot of bail, I'd forgotten about it & the money.

I've now had a letter with the appetising choice of 4 months in jail or a v large fine.. this isn't from a ton pot country that will forget about it / lose the paperwork I'm sure.

Any advice / tips?

Merry Christmas!

Sounds like you've been found guilty in absence; This isn't uncommon and if you've been properly warned of dates etc but have chosen not to turn up (or "forgotten about it") then you've only yourself to blame.
The cost of appealing may be prohibitive so I would suggest contacting a local solicitor who speaks fluent English and discussing it.
I doubt any of NSC's members are practicing criminal solicitors in Germany.

 

[CherryChimp]

Pay up you mug.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Does paying up admit guilt, and impact any crb checks for your career ?

If not, my advice is pay up no matter how painful.

 

[Nibble]

One of the most common things drunk blokes say when they have got all pissed up and lamp someone is the ol' "saving a lady" scenario. It's reasonably clever in that if you are guilty you can give the impression you did this for an "honorable" reason. It's flawed because it just smacks of bulldust.

The Germans take public violence very seriously. If, as I suspect, you just got all pissed up and lamped some poor sod then ignored the follow up paperwork you'll not get away with it. Unfortunately the old shlanger munchers have a very misguided sense of superiority, VERY rarely admit when they may be wrong, their way is the right and best way and everyone else is wrong. They'll lob the book at you.

I'd go for the "3 hots and a cot" option. Free flight to Germany, Currywurst and a beer for breakfast and very large, very hairy, shouty German criminals from the railtrack slums outside Berlin airport. You'll be fine.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Does paying up admit guilt, and impact any crb checks for your career ?

If not, my advice is pay up no matter how painful.

Ooh. Good point. I have a level one caution for being in possession of a police HAT which has resulted in significant hassles every time I have a DBS check since.

I think that crimes committed overseas are not included but you Defo don't want one of those so check this out properly.

 

[Nibble]

Oh, regarding your witness: The Hun hate septics, regarding them as ignorant, sex crazed bullies with no manners, and a rep for not being able to hold their liquor.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

You could be nicked anytime here and put on a plane to Germany in handcuffs, European Arrest Warrant is your problem. Get a solicitor and get legal advice ASAP

Having read each post I'd say this is the one you need to heed, and very, very quickly. There may be a simple resolution that you can be correctly and legally guided on, or, you may be in a whole heap of do-do, in which ase you still need a very good legal eagle!

 

[Easy 10]

So the guy has brain damage.

That ups the stakes somewhat.

 

[Nibble]

Yep, lawyer the shit out of this. The "victim" has brain damage so you'll need to shield yourself against a civil case too. In all seriousness, good luck, hope you get away with it.

 

[CherryChimp]

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

i have contact with the girl who has said she would write in my defence..

i may have said that i pushed him.. (he lost 2 teeth, a trip to hospital & a brain contusion (whatever that is)..

Surely you would have at least put that into Google?

Have you been told of his condition? Might be something has got worse since and that is why this has come to light again

 

[Nibble]

On paper, and tbh,seeing as you haven't even gone to the effort of finding out how much damage or what injuries you left this guy with out of concern for him or yourself, letters from german courts seem to have been ignored and you seem to have just laughed it off. I don't like to think of anyone going to a foreign jail but If I was a German judge I wouldn't be very impressed by your attitude. Did you try to find out how your victim was recovering?

I'm not trying to be mean but these are questions that would be asked in an appeal.

 

[studio150]

The other option is plastic surgery and a life on the run. At least after a few years you could write your story and get some money.

 

[Butch Willykins]

Perhaps write a strongly worded letter suggesting that they offset the fine against all the German drivers who rack up driving offences in the UK then sod off home without paying them. Somewhere in the letter throw in "Two World Wars and one World Cup" for good measure. That should be the last you hear of it.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Sie gefickt werden!

 

[knocky1]

Sie gefickt werden!

Got an unclassified in German at O-Level but isn't that a reward rather than a punishment?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

As me dear old Mam used to say:

"You pays for yer learning son!"