IT’S BITTER SWEDE
A$AP Rocky guilty, but no jail
Grammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky was found guilty of assault by a Swedish court Wednesday — but won’t serve any more time behind bars.
The 30-year-old musician, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, and two members of his entourage were convicted of hitting and kicking a 19year-old man during a June 30 skirmish on a street in Stockholm.
Rocky, who spent about a month in custody before he was released on Aug. 2, was given a suspended sentence and ordered to pay the victim $1,310.
The Harlem-born rapper and the two other defendants, David Rispers, Jr. and Bladimir Corniel, received conditional sentences, meaning they won’t serve more time unless they commit a similar crime in the country again.
Rocky, who did not appear in court, said later he was nevertheless let down.
“I am of course disappointed by today’s verdict,” the “Praise the Lord” performer wrote on Instagram, thanking his friends, fans and team. “Imma keep moving forward.”
Prosecutors, who were seeking a six-month prison sentence, alleged Rocky and two bodyguards assaulted Mustafa Jafari in a bloody beating in the Swedish capital.
The teen was struck in the back of the head with a bottle, although the judge said Wednesday that it could “not be established by whom.”
The rapper, who was seen on a video throwing Jafari to the ground, has claimed that he acted in self-defense.
He said the confrontation escalated to a brawl when Jafari and a friend refused to stop following his entourage.
But the court found that Rocky and the two other men “were not in a situation where they were entitled to self-defense.”
“In an overall assessment, the court finds that the assault has not been of such serious nature that a prison sentence must be chosen,” the court summary stated.
The high-profile case caught the attention of President Trump, who said last month that he had spoken to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven about it and would personally vouch for the artist.
He credited First Lady Melania Trump for bringing the case to his attention.
The judge said after the verdict that he was not “subjected to any political pressure,” according to The New York Times.