Four months in jail for assaulting cop on New Year's

The police judge in The Hague on Wednesday sentenced Ricardo U. to four months in jail for assaulting a police officer at a New Year's party in Zoetermeer. The 46-year-old man from Moerkapelle must also spend the next two New Year's at home, the Telegraaf reports.

One month of the prison sentence is conditionally suspended. The sentence is equal to what the Public Prosecutor demanded.

U. attended a house party in Zoetemeer for New Year's. The police were twice called to the very loud party. The second time, around 3:30 a.m., the owner of the house insulted the officers and was arrested. U. interfered and kicked one officer hard in the stomach.

U.'s case is the only accelerated lawsuit related to New Year's this year. The accelerated lawsuits are generally meant or relatively simple cases with not very high punishments. In these cases the suspect appears in court three to six days after the offense.

According to the Telegraaf, the fact that there was only one accelerated lawsuit this New Year's does not mean that there were fewer offenses, only that the other cases were too complex for a quick lawsuit - they need more preparation time.