The incident at the Petynka swimming pool in Prague took place in July this year, when Růžička, who at that time was already on probation (for assaulting another man in the streets), together with his two friends attacked an unknown man, to whom the twenty-six-year-old professional fighter was supposed to deliver the final blow. At the same time, kicking and spitting were also supposed to occur. The police subsequently caught the perpetrator thanks to the camera footage, so now they stand before the court.
Together with Růžička, 21-year-old Tomáš Bureš was also tried (the third is being tried separately), also a boxer and the son of a former Czech bodybuilder, and both made a so-called declaration of guilt, when they agreed to describe the act. They apologized for their behavior. “I regret how I behaved, I wish I could turn back time. I apologized to the defendant through the lawyer. I would like to apologize in person, but unfortunately that’s not possible,” said Růžička, who was also sympathized with his partner.
Therefore, the court only dealt with the question of punishment, with the public prosecutor proposing a six-month prison sentence, i.e. the lower limit (up to three years were at risk). While Růžička agreed, Bureš’s defense attorney requested the imposition of the maximum possible condition, i.e. three years with a five-year probationary period. But she did not comply with the request.
Other than an unconditional sentence was out of the question, even considering that both young men committed the crimes while on probation. “Both defendants are special recidivists in relation to the crime of rioting,” said judge Veronika Koropecká, according to whom the six-month sentence was low. Růžička did not appeal against the sentence, his lawyer also agreed with the qualification. Bureš, on the other hand, is waiting for a possible appeal.
However, the 26-year-old Růžička is also being investigated for a case from early August, when he was accused of dangerous threats, robbery and disorderly conduct, for which he was subsequently sent to custody, where he spent more than a month. “It was a personal failure when I was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, then I had a completely different view of the world,” he described in court.
Both defendants go to prison for half a year, which can be even longer, especially for Růžička. The court will decide on the possible conversion of the conditional sentence for last year’s act into a non-conditional sentence, and in the foreseeable future he will also face another trial for the above-mentioned incident from August.
