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Court sentences US national to 4.5 years in jail for attacking policeman

Before the trial, Robert Gilman addressed the audience in the courtroom stating that he was "not guilty and was unconscious while committing the crime"

VORONEZH, October 4. /TASS/. The Voronezh Central District Court handed down a guilty verdict and sentenced US national Robert Gilman, who attacked a policeman, to 4.5 years in prison, a TASS correspondent reported from the courtroom.

"The court finds Gilman absolutely guilty. <…> Gilman realized that he threatened the well-being of a public authority. <…> [I hereby decree] to find [the defendant] guilty and impose a penalty of four years and six months at a medium-security prison," a judge said.

Before the trial, Gilman addressed the audience in the courtroom stating that he was "not guilty and was unconscious while committing the crime."

Earlier, the press service of the prosecutor’s office reported that during debates the state prosecution had asked for a sentence of 4.5 years at a medium-security prison.

Gilman’s defense team intends to appeal to US authorities in order to launch a swap, his attorney Valery Ivannikov told reporters. "We will appeal, we will ask the appellate court to reduce the punishment, [to make it] much less than the current sentence, <...> it has already been agreed that we will address the authorities of the United States of America in order to initiate an exchange process so that he can return home," the lawyer said.

On January 17, 2022, Gilman was taken to a transport police precinct in Voronezh since he was disturbing peace while intoxicated on a Sukhumi-Moscow passenger train. At the precinct, Gilman kicked a policeman in the shin at least twice after which a criminal case was opened for violence against a public authority on duty. Cases against Gilman were also opened for disorderly conduct and violating the conditions of his stay in Russia, for which he was fined 500 rubles (about $8) and served five days in jail. After his release, he was arrested on criminal charges of attacking a police officer. According to the court, Gilman paid the policeman 15,000 rubles (about $260) and gave the same amount to charity.