Swedish court convicts A$AP Rocky of assault

Rakim Athelaston Mayers, popularly known as A$AP Rocky, has been found guilty of assault and handed a conditional sentence after he was involved in a street brawl in Stockholm.

The US rapper and two members of his entourage were convicted by a Swedish court, following a confrontation in the Swedish capital on June 30.

In its ruling on Wednesday, Stockholm District Court rejected the performer’s claim that the trio had been acting in self-defense.

“Based on statements from two witnesses, the court finds that the defendants were not subject to a current or imminent criminal attack,” the ruling said.

“Therefore, they were not in a situation where they were entitled to use violence in self-defense. Nor could they have perceived themselves to be in such a situation.”

Swedish public prosecutor Daniel Suneson had argued during the trial that the artist and the two other men — David Rispers and Bladimir Corniel — assaulted the victim by kicking and beating him with a whole or part of a glass bottle while he lay on the ground.

The imposition of a conditional sentence means that A$AP Rocky will be subject to a probationary period of two years.

The court awarded damages to the victim “for violation of his integrity and pain and suffering.”The defendants were also ordered to repay legal expenses to the state.

Known for his song “Praise the Lord,” 30-year-old A$AP Rocky name is was released by Swedish authorities at the conclusion of his trial on August 2 and left the country shortly afterwards.
He was not required to appear in court for Wednesday’s ruling.

According to Reuters A$AP Rocky addressed the case during a performance at a music festival in California on Sunday, .
“Hopefully we won’t have to go back to jail or nothing like that, that would be crazy,” he told the audience at the Real Street Festival — his first public appearance since his release. “It was an unfortunate event and I’m just trying to stay blessed.”