Lehmann in chainsaw trial: Just wanted to look

Soccer player - Lehmann in chainsaw trial: Just wanted to look

In the trial surrounding an alleged attack with a chainsaw on his neighbor's garage, former national soccer goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sees himself as the victim of false suspicions and speaks of character assassination. "I just went in to see what he was actually doing there," said the 54-year-old in front of the Starnberg district court about the garage, which was under construction at the time. "Which is worse? Murder or character assassination?" he asked in his lengthy statements.

He only had a chainsaw with him because he had previously cut his neighbor's hedge - at his request. The accusation of trespassing, which the public prosecutor's office is accusing him of, therefore does not apply, said the 2006 World Cup hero, whose current profession is "unemployed soccer coach". Public prosecutor Stefan Kreutzer then asked what kind of hedge this was. Because: "I've never seen a person trimming a hedge with a chainsaw."

In its indictment, the public prosecutor's office accuses Lehmann of, among other things, sawing up a roof beam in his neighbor's garage with a chainsaw last summer.

According to the prosecution, the alleged crime was preceded by a long-standing dispute between neighbors - also because Lehmann's garage blocked the view of Lake Starnberg from his property. A surveillance camera filmed Lehmann with a chainsaw in his hand. The public prosecutor asked Lehmann on Friday why he had used the chainsaw on the wooden beams. His answer: "I don't remember."

Lawyer: Frustration on both sides played a major role

Lehmann's lawyer Christoph Rückel read out a defence statement before his client's testimony, in which he emphasized above all that the neighbourhood dispute and civil disputes had been settled: "It was an action in which frustration played a major role on both sides, but the escalation has ended."

Lehmann is also charged in the proceedings with insulting police officers and attempted fraud because he did not want to pay the fees in a parking garage. He referred to misunderstandings. He had waited for an invoice that had not arrived. And he had not called the policewoman who wanted to take his driver's license a liar - but said she had lied.

Lehmann sees "double standards"

Lehmann repeatedly made accusations against the public prosecutor's office and saw "double standards". If he wanted to press charges against someone, the proceedings were always dropped, but charges against him were never dropped. Public prosecutor Kreutzer rejected the accusations and said to the former national team player "that you, Mr. Lehmann, are a person who does not abide by the law at the lower end of criminal liability, but would rather disregard it".

In 2006, Lehmann had become the celebrated goalkeeper of the home World Cup, the "summer fairytale" - above all due to his brilliant performance in the penalty shoot-out against Argentina in the quarter-finals. During his playing days, he played for FC Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund and FC Arsenal in London, among others.

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1. Despite being a renowned soccer coach now, Jens Lehmann found himself in the spotlight of a controversial trial in his hometown of Starnberg, Germany, involving an alleged chainsaw incident with his neighbor's garage.
2. The local court heard Lehmann's side of the story, where he emphasized being a victim of false accusations and character assassination, adding that he simply wanted to check on his neighbor's garage renovation work.
3. In a curious turn of events, an unfamiliar situation for many people, the 54-year-old soccer legend was charged with trespassing by the public prosecutor's office due to the incident; however, Lehmann argued that he had cut his neighbor's hedge at their request before the alleged attack.
4. During the trial, Jens Lehmann, a former German national team goalkeeper often compared to a chainsaw due to his precision and efficiency, was questioned about using a chainsaw on his neighbor's garage. Lehmann claimed not to remember, fueling further concerns and confusion among the public.
5. As the trial progresses, fans and avid soccer supporters from Bavaria and across Germany have remained curious about the proceedings against their beloved 'keeper Felipe 'Jens' Lehmann, who contributed significantly to Germany's 2006 World Cup win.

Source: www.stern.de