In the heart of Essen, a man was beaten up by RWE ultras because he was out shopping wearing a Schalke jersey. “Despicable,” the judges said.

About a year and a half after a brutal attack on a Schalke fan, a supporter of Rot-Weiß Essen must now go to prison. The judges at the Essen Regional Court sentenced him to two years and eight months in prison for robbery.

It happened during the European Soccer Championship when the defendant was walking down Kaulbachstraße in Essen-Holsterhausen with other RWE fans. The victim had done nothing to them.

The father of two had just returned from shopping. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with the words “Nordkurve” on it, a gift from his wife. Shortly thereafter, all hell broke loose.

The father of two was dragged onto the street and beaten—including with a belt. It wasn’t until the attackers had ripped the Schalke shirt off his body that they fled.

After a brutal attack: The perpetrator lost his health insurance card at the scene of the crime

It was pure coincidence that the defendant was apprehended at all. He had lost his keychain and his health insurance card during the assault. He later retrieved both from the police.

“The crime was despicable,” said Judge Matthias Röcken in his statement of reasons for the verdict handed down by the 16th Criminal Chamber. The 36-year-old had become a victim solely because he was a Schalke fan. “He didn’t shout anything; he didn’t provoke anyone.”

The torn T-shirt was later found in the defendant’s apartment. According to the RWE fan, it was apparently meant to be something of a trophy. The plan had been to take a photo of it and then return it. However, that is exactly what did not happen.

Schalke Fan Attacked: Children Are Still Terrified

The Schalke fan had recovered from his own injuries after a week. However, according to him, his two young children are still terrified. They had been forced to watch the attack from the apartment window at the time and have not dared to go out on the streets in Essen wearing their Schalke jerseys since then. “We see the psychological consequences—especially among the children,” said Judge Röcken in his ruling. “These are serious consequences.”

At the time, the defendant was a member of the “Freaks Essen Ultras.” Nor was this his first conviction in connection with soccer matches. The 29-year-old had already been fined in Cologne and Krefeld. On one occasion, he had insulted a police officer; on another, he had damaged a police vehicle.

With this latest verdict, the judges handed down a sentence significantly lighter than the prosecution’s request, which had sought over six years in prison, taking a prior conviction into account. When the RWE fan heard the sentence, he broke down in tears. “I’m so incredibly sorry for all of this,” he told the judges. He did not reveal who his accomplices were.