From Blabbermouth.net:
GORGOROTH frontman Gaahl was sentenced to 14 months in prison for beating a 41-year-old man and threatening to drink his blood.
The 29-year-old, whose real name has not been revealed by the Norwegian media, was charged with a crime that carries a maximum penalty of nine years in prison.
The black metal vocalist was sentenced to one year and two months in jail by the Gulating court of appeals on Tuesday (Feb. 22), according to TV2. The original 18-month sentence, which was handed down last May, was reduced by four months while the amount in damages Gaahl is required to pay to the victim was increased from 100,000 NOK (approximately $16,000) to 190,000 NOK (approximately $30,400).
Last year, the district court concluded that Gaahl's use of violence was severe enough for him to be charged with aggravated assault. The court of appeals agreed with the disctrict court's findings, but still chose to reduce the 29-year-old's sentence.
The victim, whose identity has not been revealed by the Norwegian media, explained that he went to an after-hours party in February 2002 at the invitation of Gaahl's brother and ended up engaging in a verbal disagreement with Gaahl. However, he denied that he physically attacked Gaahl, as has been claimed by the defendant.
"I wanted to leave," the alleged victim told the court last year. "What I did was react verbally to a situation which I perceived as threatening."
When the 41-year-old man tried to leave the party, the defendant allegedly blocked the exit by standing in the doorway. Immediately after that, the alleged victim felt a hard hit on the back of his head.
"From the moment I got hit, I thought to myself that this was the end. It was as if I could view the whole situation from the outside: Now I'm dying," the man explained.
The 41-year-old told the court of increased use of violence as the night progressed. He claimed to have no recollection of how long it took for the entire episode to transpire, but he indicated that it "seemed to last for a very long time." He also described a situation where he was given a cup in which he was supposed to bleed. He said he was first hit once, then another time because he did not bleed enough. According to the alleged victim, the defendant said, "I'm going to sacrifice you, I'm going to drink your blood."
Taking the stand in her son's defense, Gaahl's mother testified that she found the accusation of blood drinking particularly hard to believe.
"My son is a vegetarian and very fussy about food. He eats absolutely no innards. That is why I do not believe this at all," Gaahl's mother told the court.
The court believed the victim's claim that Gaahl threatened to drink his blood but didn't believe Gaahl actually meant to do it.
"The court believes that the accused said that he would drink the blood of the victim," the court wrote in today's sentence. "The court has no reason to believe that the defendant had intended to go through with it. The statement was rather made to incite fear in the victim by its brutality."
After he was hit in the back of the head, the 41-year-old man made two attempts to get away. The first time, he thought the living room was empty. But when he tried to get up from his chair, he was pulled back down by someone behind him. The second time he managed to exit the house and find his way into his car and drive away. The alleged victim believes that there were two more persons were in the house in addition to the defendant.
Taking the stand in his own defense, Gaahl explained that it was the 41-year-old who started the trouble which led to the physical confrontation.
"He jumped on me and threw me down in a chair. I also remember getting my head banged against the wall," Gaahl testified in court. "He kept hitting at me without stopping. The last thing I remember is that I fell down on the couch and that I lifted my arms to protect myself. After that I must have lost consciousness. The next thing I remember is standing on the floor and [the 41-year-old] sitting in a chair. At that time he was bleeding pretty heavily," the 29-year-old black metal singer explained.
When asked to explain the severe physical injuries suffered by the 41-year-old, Gaahl said, "Anything I would say would be just pure speculation on my part. I don't know what happened."
The defendant's version of what transpired on the night in question directly contradicted the alleged victim's claim that he suffered a brutal assault at the hands of the defendant, causing him to continue to experience medical problems more than two years after the alleged incident took place.
During his testimony, Gaahl explained that he met the 41-year-old for the first time earlier that night at a restaurant. According to Gaahl, the alleged victim made the initial contact.
The defendant, who appeared in court wearing a black GORGOROTH t-shirt, a leather jacket and an upside-down cross necklace, claimed that he took a cab home after closing time and that the 41-year-old was not invited to the after-hours party, but that he invited himself and turned up a bit later. Gaahl explained that the 41-year-old had been drinking at the restaurant but still ended up driving his own car for 30 minutes from the restaurant to the house.
"Everything was calm until we were supposed to leave the house to go to my brother's place nearby," Gaahl said. "It was my brother that was originally going to have the party, but we went to my place first as my brother hadn't arrived yet. When I made the suggestion that we leave, he attacked me," the 29-year-old said.
The court was also shown a cup that is normally used for games of throwing dice. When the defendant saw that the alleged victim was bleeding heavily, he gave him the cup. Asked if he had told the 41-year-old to collect his blood in the cup, Gaahl explained, "I gave him the cup so that he would not to make such a mess in my house with all the blood."
During the questioning, the defendant claimed he did not remember anything that happened after he lost consciousness until he found himself standing on the floor with the 41-year-old sitting in a chair badly injured in front of him.
In 2001, Gaahl was sentenced to one year in prison without the possibility of parole after an episode of violence where he assaulted his victim for hours. In addition, he was ordered to pay 158,000 kronor (approximately $25,300) in punitive damages.
In the 2001 sentence, the court wrote that Gaahl's use of violence was "extremely raw and brutal," adding that there was no "clear motive" for the assault.
Under normal circumstances, Gaahl's previous conviction would have carried a sentence of 90 days in prison, but due to the severity of the crime, the singer was sentenced to 12 months behind bars in addition to being forced to pay the monetary damages. During his court appearance, Gaahl was reportedly dressed in black and wore a plethora of Satanic symbols.
Formed in 1992, GORGOROTH took their name from J.R.R. Tolkien's book "The Lord Of The Rings". Gaahl, who joined the band in 1998, is believed to be involved with at least three other projects (GAAHLSKAGG, SIGFADER, TRELLDOM), all of which feature a musical direction described as "raw, unsophisticated black metal."
GORGOROTH drew international attention in February 2004 after they were accused of "offending religious feelings" during a concert in Poland. The band were also suspected of breaching the Polish law on protection of animals by displaying the severed and impaled heads of sheep as part of their stage act.
a death metal man who doesn't eat innards? Quit frontin' Gaaaaaaahhhhhll!
Posted by: the indescribable guzaro zahmeugua | March 01, 2005 at 12:14 PM
Um... Carcass were vegetarians you idiot.
Posted by: Furious George | May 03, 2005 at 02:53 PM
GAAHL IS INOSENT!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: 1 | May 29, 2005 at 09:09 PM
i thought death metal was about unity in the community! your words really hurt my feelings. if you see me at the record fair, don't even talk to me!
Posted by: the indescribable guzaro zahmeugua | June 22, 2005 at 01:28 AM
I have known Gaahl for about 5 months? He were attacked by a man, and he defended himself, who wouldn't have done that? It's called self-defense.
Posted by: Lunatic | July 12, 2005 at 08:42 AM
Wow that's some hardcore shit i mean collecting his blood in a fricken yahtzee cup.....DAMN! But gorgoroth's music is awesome so im gonna have to say that gaahl was just protecting his own skin. KEEP SHREDDIN GAAHL!!!!
Posted by: jesse | August 28, 2005 at 01:13 AM
This guy is clearly an idiot...
blood drinking is more something little hot topic kids in white face " vampires " who think Cradle of Filth is " evil, darkly romantic " or whatever the fuck that means; would do. Sounds like this nimrod raided the Hot Topic portion of his closet for his court appearence...the judge probably nearly died from LAUGHTER...if these clowns put HALF as much effort into their MUSIC as they did their oh-so- spooky image, they might have somthing.
James
Posted by: Once Upon Atrocities | September 29, 2005 at 08:18 PM
james, your a twat
go rot
Posted by: Twilight of the Idols | November 06, 2005 at 08:54 PM
gaahl is an idiot. pure, simple!
Posted by: Twilight of the Idols | November 26, 2005 at 12:05 PM
but he still does great music. james youre right.
Posted by: Twilight of the Idols | November 26, 2005 at 12:06 PM
i think gaahl is hilarious, the thing he did was so cliche,hahahahahahhaa we need more rockstars like him so we can laugh more at black norwiegan metal, if you can paint your face an play "music" like they do (which for me is nothing more than noise) i think we all can be like good ol' gaahl
Posted by: gabo | December 05, 2005 at 12:29 PM
Black Metal not Death, thank you.
Posted by: 13 | February 23, 2006 at 05:48 PM
Satanic Bm is for fags. Long live the pagan.
Posted by: King Dan | June 04, 2006 at 11:34 PM
This guy is the next... I'm a big red machine, and I'll kill him, in your cell ! My shockslam will destroy him and everybody here.
Right now !
Posted by: Kane | June 05, 2006 at 11:10 AM
Ave Satani,...You are not Black Metal, if you are not against the HUMANITY!!! GORGOROTH is one of them!!! Hail DaJJaL!!! The True Messiah!!!
Posted by: DaJJaL | July 03, 2006 at 09:08 PM
GAAHL is still alive!!! Slut like Kane just have a big EGGS in his head!!! Show me that you have killed GAAHL!!! Or shall I cut your fuckin DICK??? Or you do not have one???!!!
Posted by: DaJJaL | July 03, 2006 at 09:13 PM
HA HA HA!! A Point for us!! See ya all @ Megiddo!
Love
777
Posted by: Jesus is Lord | August 02, 2006 at 12:08 AM
That fucking idiot who thinks black metal is just noise should stick his britney spears records up his ass. Faggot.
Posted by: Argentina | August 23, 2006 at 05:27 PM
Gaahl is innocent!
Gorgoroth Forever!
Black-Metal Forever!
Posted by: Hellnorsk Svartmetall | September 09, 2006 at 11:02 PM
i heard that with all the other stuff,Gaahl made him solve riddles. Im not kidding that was one of the charges..."Eeef ze treeee fallss dowwwwn een ze Norveeegeean Black Metal forest ant no von ees around to hear ze treeee falling doowwwwwn,then tell me does the treeeee steeeel making a souuuund?!!?!"
Posted by: chico | September 29, 2006 at 02:00 AM
This idiot who is bringing up hot topic to relate somehow to Gaahl is an imbecile and shall be curb stomped. First of all go back to africa, second , consume a fur coat, and third, break a dish over your head and cut your throat open with it.
Posted by: jordan | November 22, 2006 at 05:40 PM
I don't think Gaahl was in the right mind. I think he feel into a fit. Which he lost control or his body, and forgot the whole occurance. I know gaahl ain't a liar.
Posted by: Necromancer | November 26, 2006 at 01:09 PM
everybody who thinks ghaal is a fucking fag , go suck your moms ass's. Gaahl is the ultimate father of black metal and will be remembered as one of the greatest black metal musicians of all time . I hope he kills you guys one day so these poser fucks finally fuck off ! fucking sluts.
Posted by: NecroButcher Preteen Raper | March 18, 2007 at 05:44 PM
father of black metal? he isnt even first wave. learn your BM laddo. his voice isnt that distinctive and there are more memorable musicians out there than him. just because he beats people up and has a strange persona doesnt mean hes the most greatest most amazingest brilliantist BMer ever.
Posted by: Tyrant | April 22, 2007 at 04:35 PM
wow, the fag who says that black metal is nothing more than noise either listens to faggety ass new york hardcore or indie music...gay
Posted by: fritz haarman | May 06, 2007 at 03:57 AM