Fatal for the LASK!

Drug issue too! Will the Sudel trial be extended?

LASK star Jérôme Boateng.

(Bild: AFP/APA/Christof STACHE)

Suddenly, the Munich regional court is not "only" dealing with intentional bodily harm as on the first two days of the trial, but also with cocaine. And LASK star Jérôme Boateng is in the middle of it all, along with a judge who extends the trial. Apparently at least until12. August . 

When the hearing was disrupted around midday on Friday due to construction noise in the courtroom, Susanne Hemmerich had the trial interrupted . . . 

Although losing time is the last thing Susanne Hemmerich needs. Particularly as she had already previously called for additional trial days due to the flood of evidence announced by Jérôme Boateng's lawyers to refute the allegations against the LASK star and said: "I even withdrew my application for early retirement from the end of August in order to bring this to an end . . ." "To the bitter end," she said again later.

"Take this to the bitter end"

Which may of course honor the judge, who is about to retire, and must give the accused hope for a fair trial, but should not really please LASK.

Boateng's defense lawyer Leonard Walischewski.

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Towards the end of yesterday's hearing, the judge finally extended the trial, which was originally "only" scheduled until July 19, to hear further witnesses and also set July 26 and even August 12 as dates for the time being. 

Which means one thing is certain: the Sudel trial will be extended for an uncertain period of time, which the judge did not want because of Boateng's children, but which LASK in particular did not need for image reasons. Especially as this case is generally about violence, bodily harm, blood, greed and blackmail. And since yesterday also drugs!

However, it was not - as one might assume - the public prosecutor who brought them into play, but Boateng's defense lawyer Leonard Walischewski. He also brought up matters from the trial of Boateng's ex-partner Kasia Lehnhardt, who voluntarily left his life in 2021: it's not just about bodily harm, but also about the smuggling of cocaine and the theft of two cell phones. The defense also wants to refute these accusations, which Boateng vehemently denies, as well as the assault on his ex-partner Sherin S., with evidence. 

Deceased Kasia Lenhardt topic

Even though the judge had previously always tried to keep the two cases strictly separate and only hear the allegations made by public prosecutor Stefanie Eckert and co-plaintiff Sherin S. - who is the mother of Boateng's twins - in these proceedings.

Kasia Lenhardt took her own life in 2021.

(Bild: Frederic Kern / Action Press / picturedesk.com)

Christian M., a friend of Boateng's, is no longer allowed to testify as a witness for the defense in this trial, as he is accused of making a false statement in the last trial, which was overturned in 2023. Instead of him, the judge also called Kai Dingerdissen, the judge from the first trial in 2021, to the witness stand on Friday. He explained that he had found all witnesses to be credible before sentencing the professional footballer to a penalty of 60 daily rates of 30,000 euros each, which never became legally binding. The highest such sentence ever imposed in Germany . . ."

Judge wishes "have fun!"

Before Dingerdissen left the courtroom yesterday, he wished his colleague "a lot of fun with the trial . . . "

After the break in proceedings, Hemmerich then questioned Andreas Forster, the judge of the second trial, whose sentence (120 daily rates of 10,000 euros each) was overturned last year due to serious omissions and procedural errors and because of which the Sudel trial now had to be reopened for a third time. Above all, he was questioned about the false statements made by Boateng's buddy Christian M. in the previous trial.