Dutch brothers regret beating up Prague waiter; facing up to 18 years in prison

Dutch brothers Armin and Arash N. regret assaulting a waiter in Prague last year, they both said during the first day of the trail against them in the Czech capital on Monday. They are facing charges of attempted murder or manslaughter. If they are convicted, they face up to 18 years in prison, Het Parool reports.

Both brothers offered to support waiter Miroslav Vitek financially. "I accept any amount and will do everything I can to pay it. He deserves it", Arash said to the judge.

Armin and Arash and some friends were drinking beer they brought with them on a terrace in Prague last year. When they were reprimanded for this, a fight broke out. Waiter Miroslav was seriously injured. He sustained a brain hemorrhage, a broken jaw, a broken eye socket and a shattered ankle, among other things. He was in a coma for three days and nearly died.

After the assault, a group of seven men were arrested at the Prague airport. Two of them, including a police officer from Amsterdam, were released again a short time later when investigation showed they tried to deescalate the situation. Three others were already given suspended prison sentences and banned from entering the Czech Republic for five years.

"I remember kicking someone in the back two or three times. They were low intensity kicks", Arash said in court on Monday, according to Het Parool. He also acknowledged that he kicked someone else in the face. Armin said that he doesn't remember much of the fight.

Victim Vitek is also attending the trial, though he was in a separate room from the two Dutch men. "And he will use his right to speak", the waiter's lawyer Michal Marini said. "But whether that will be in court or from a separate from, we don't know yet. Probably the latter, because it is very hard to stand a few meters away from his attackers. His life will never be the same again. He's getting psychological help. And just had another operation."