A 23-year-old serviceman from Houthalen-Helchteren, Limburg Province, has been sentenced by the Hasselt criminal court to 15 months’ imprisonment and a fine of €800 for acts of violence against a police officer in the Limburg Regio Hoofdstad (LRH) police zone.
The man, who is also a professional mixed martial artist (MMA), has been given a suspended sentence, but will have to seek treatment for his aggression and alcohol problems.
The incident took place on 9 July, when two police officers tried to check two occupants of a vehicle in the middle of the night. The serviceman attacked one of the police officers twice, causing him to spend about 10 ten days away from work, on sick leave.
The soldier’s lawyer highlighted his client’s post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety attacks. The defendant himself admitted that he had done something stupid, especially since he was a soldier. This was also emphasised by the criminal court.
The serviceman was also known by police for a fight with another serviceman and for two cases of hooliganism.
