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After a two-day trial, the Munich district court overnight found the driver guilty of the assault in a Chinese nightclub and handed Sutil an 18-month suspended sentence. The prosecutors had asked for a 21-month suspended sentence. Sutil was also fined 200,000 euros ($247,500), to be paid to charities. Sutil was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Renault team executive Eric Lux at a party following Lewis Hamilton's victory at the China Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 17. Lux needed two dozen stitches after being cut in the neck by a broken glass.
"The defendant knew that he had this glass in his hand. The glass was moving in an intended direction," Judge Christiane Thiemann said in her ruling. Sutil, in his final statement before the verdict, apologised once again to Lux and said he had not realised he was still holding the glass in his hand at the time of the incident.
"I regret the incident very much. It's a lesson for me," Sutil said. Sutil's lawyer, Juergen Wessing, argued that Sutil's action was unintentional and a reflex, but prosecutor Nicole Selzam rejected it as "ridiculous". After the verdict, Sutil said he was relieved that the case was over "and that I am in the clear with Eric Lux".
Sutil talked with Lux on Monday on the telephone and another attempt to settle the case fell through yesterday before the verdict, according to reports. The German driver told the court that he had "tried everything" to settle the case out of court, offering "tens of millions" and a charitable donation but was turned down by Lux. "I'm terribly sorry. I never wanted what happened there to happen," Sutil said on the first day of the trial.
Sutil said last year he wanted only to spill his drink on Lux, who was part owner of the team now renamed Lotus, and that causing the injury was completely "unintentional and accidental". The 29-year-old lost his seat at Force India after five seasons to compatriot Nico Hulkenberg in December. Sutil was without a team for this year. Sutil's agent, Manfred Zimmermann, said he was hoping his client could land a deal next week to become a test driver for one of the Formula One teams.
Formula One driver Adrian Sutil convicted of 'glassing' | Herald Sun
"The defendant knew that he had this glass in his hand. The glass was moving in an intended direction," Judge Christiane Thiemann said in her ruling. Sutil, in his final statement before the verdict, apologised once again to Lux and said he had not realised he was still holding the glass in his hand at the time of the incident.
"I regret the incident very much. It's a lesson for me," Sutil said. Sutil's lawyer, Juergen Wessing, argued that Sutil's action was unintentional and a reflex, but prosecutor Nicole Selzam rejected it as "ridiculous". After the verdict, Sutil said he was relieved that the case was over "and that I am in the clear with Eric Lux".
Sutil talked with Lux on Monday on the telephone and another attempt to settle the case fell through yesterday before the verdict, according to reports. The German driver told the court that he had "tried everything" to settle the case out of court, offering "tens of millions" and a charitable donation but was turned down by Lux. "I'm terribly sorry. I never wanted what happened there to happen," Sutil said on the first day of the trial.
Sutil said last year he wanted only to spill his drink on Lux, who was part owner of the team now renamed Lotus, and that causing the injury was completely "unintentional and accidental". The 29-year-old lost his seat at Force India after five seasons to compatriot Nico Hulkenberg in December. Sutil was without a team for this year. Sutil's agent, Manfred Zimmermann, said he was hoping his client could land a deal next week to become a test driver for one of the Formula One teams.
Formula One driver Adrian Sutil convicted of 'glassing' | Herald Sun
