Dutch athlete gets 5 years for drug dealing at Budapest music festival

Roelf B., a 22-year-old sprinter from Stadskanaal was sentenced to five years in prison by a court in Budapest on Monday for attempting to sell drugs at the Sziget music festival in the city last year. He was sentenced alongside his childhood friend, Gert-Jan N., who also received the same prison term, according to Nu.nl.

The sentence was handed down in the afternoon after the two men expressed their regret and told the court they would accept the prosecutor's recommended sentences, which were actually several years longer. The prosecution had told the court B. should serve eight years in prison, and N. should remain behind bars for ten years, according to Telegraaf reporter Marcel Vink tweeting live from the courtroom.

The two Dutch men were caught at the massive Hungarian music festival with 2,700 ecstasy pills and 20 kilograms of joints, which they were selling from their tent. They were also found with five thousand copies of a printed price list with their telephone numbers on them. The drugs had a street value of approximately 300 thousand euros, a price which was estimated from their own menu.

In court N. argued that “his role seems bigger than it really is”. He said that he did not realize Hungary’s strict anti-drug laws would also apply to festivals. “I went to festivals in the Netherlands,” he said, and assumed that “things are different than in real life.” But he confessed. “I sold drugs and had a price list,” he said. “I am ashamed of what I did.”

Roelf B. also apologized, saying that he regrets endangering the lives of festival attendees.

The prosecutor could appeal the ruling because of the lower sentence from the judge, Nu.nl reported.