According to the Czech news site Blesk.cz, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe appeared in court shortly before 10 a.m. today for a hearing in connection with the death of a fan more than two years ago.
Blythe, who was arrested Wednesday (June 27) at the Prague airport on manslaughter charges, was reportedly released on 4 million Czech Koruna bail (approximately $200,000 — an amount which, according to the site, Randy claimed was the equivalent of his annual income). Since most banks are closed this weekend, Blythe will be allowed to pay off his bail on Monday (July 2). The singer, who did not speak at his hearing and was “timid as a lamb,” was considered a flight risk by the judge. Photos and video footage (see below) of Blythe in court show him wearing an OBITUARY sweatshirt and American flag hat. For safety reasons, he also had his shoelaces removed while he was in the pre-trial detention cell.
LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton — who, along with the rest of the band, is in Prague, tweeted a few hours ago, “Today just turned into a FANTASTIC day!!!”
Blythe, 41, who was represented by two lawyers in court, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD’s May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer apparently either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel who had come on stage, and that person died 14 days later of bleeding in the brain.
According to WTVR-TV, another Czech online news site, Aktualne.cz, has published statements from a witness — a friend of the victim — who said the fan wasn’t using drugs or alcohol and fell back directly on his head. The victim lapsed into a coma and died two weeks later.
The crime of which Blythe is being accused is punishable by up to ten years in prison, according to popular Czech news web site Novinky.cz.
LAMB OF GOD was scheduled to perform on Thursday at the Rock Café in Prague with SKELETONWITCH and ALL SHALL PERISH but that show ended up getting canceled.
LAMB OF GOD’s publicist, Adrenaline PR, issued a statement yesterday stressing that “under no circumstances was there a fight of any kind involved [during LAMB OF GOD’s 2010 concert]. This incident deals with a fan that three times during the concert jumped the barricade and rushed Randy during the performance. It is alleged that the third time, security was not able to reach him and that Randy pushed him back into the audience where supposedly he fell and hit his head.”
Video footage and a photo of Randy in a Czech court earlier today can be seen below.
Source: www.blabbermouth.net