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

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 have sentenced him to two years and eight months in prison—for robbery.

It was during the European Football Championship when the defendant was walking along 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 inscription “Nordkurve,” which his wife had given him as a gift. Shortly thereafter, things quickly turned chaotic.

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 brutal attack: Perpetrator lost his health insurance card at the scene

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

“The crime was despicable,” said Judge Matthias Röcken in the 16th Criminal Division’s statement of reasons for the verdict. The 36-year-old had only become a victim 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 supposed to be something of a trophy. They had intended 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 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 in 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 the current verdict, the judges fell well short of the prosecution’s request, which had called for over six years in prison, taking a prior conviction into account. When the RWE fan heard the sentence, he burst into tears. “I am so incredibly sorry for all of this,” he told the judges. He did not reveal who his accomplices were.