OFF THE WIRE
Fifteen men with connections to the Swedish Hells Angels biker CLUB were
sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Thursday for their involvement in
a violent attack on party-goers in southern Sweden in May
The gaxxx members
were found guilty of aggravated assault of at least eight people.
In
May, they had crashed a private party held by a motorcycle club in Kalmar,
southern Sweden, and proceeded to beat up some party-goers while others were
forced to watch.
The Gothenburg District Court also found the men guilty
of theft and causing property damages, wrote the TT news agency.
The
prosecutor originally brought charges against 19 men, but four were released
without conviction.
The court verdict stated that the Hells Angels went
on the rampage simply to damage the rival club and its members.
It
further said it was part and parcel of organized crime.
The prosecutor
had argued the men should be given a four-year sentence, as the attack also
involved theft of the rival gaxxx members phones and cash.
The court
found, however, that the men were more intent on humiliating their victims
rather than stealing from them.
The charge of aggravated theft was thus
downgraded to theft.
In support of the verdict, the court noted that the
men had thrown away the haul rather than take it with them.
