NIGHTWISH‘s manager, Ewo Pohjola, has been found guilty of assault at the 2023 Music x Media event in Tampere, Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reports.
The Pirkanmaa District Court fined him €1,000 and ordered him to pay additional compensation. The prosecution argued that Pohjola, who did not know the victim, put her in a chokehold and lifted her until someone intervened. Pohjola claimed he had simply embraced the woman, but the court determined his actions constituted assault, noting the surprise element and the potential for pain, even if choking was unintentional.
Despite Pohjola‘s claim of a harmless hug, the court found his actions constituted assault, emphasizing the surprise nature of the act and the potential for pain, even if he didn’t intend to choke the woman.
The plaintiff stated that while she briefly spoke with a companion of Pohjola‘s, she did not interact with Pohjola himself, whom she described as appearing “restless” and “intoxicated.”
The plaintiff recounted that Pohjola complimented her appearance, calling her “a pretty girl” and “beautiful woman,” before unexpectedly grabbing her neck with his forearm and briefly lifting her. She described the painful chokehold, lasting several seconds, which only stopped when the other man intervened. According to the plaintiff, Pohjola then laughed and repeated that it was “exciting.” She characterized the incident as “shocking, distressing, and humiliating,” especially for a young artist.
Pohjola denied the choking allegation, stating he believed the woman knew his companion and characterized the atmosphere as jovial. He acknowledged consuming alcohol and admitted to giving her what he termed a “bear hug.”
“It’s obviously not okay to go hugging strangers, but things like this happen all the time,” he said.
Pohjola maintained that his actions were intended to be friendly and denied any use of physical violence.
“I’m not a violent guy. This is just a series of misunderstandings,” he added.
Source: metaladdicts.com
