Ex-Germany goalie Lehmann fined over chainsaw dispute

Former Germany and Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was fined by a court in his home town of Starnberg after he damaged a neighbor's garage with a chainsaw.

The court imposed a total fine of €420,000 (roughly $464,000) on Friday for various charges including damage to property, insulting behaviour and attempted fraud for the incident, which occured in July 2022.

Lehmann had "consistently made himself out to be a victim of the justice system," judge Tanja Walter said. However, he was "not a
victim, he is a perpetrator" and had presented "outrageous stories" in his defense in court.

The public prosecutor, who had asked for a suspended 10-month prison sentence as well, accused the 54-year-old of breaking into his
neighbor's newly-built garage with a chainsaw and sawing off a roof beam.

The dispute was over the garage blocking Lehmann's view of Lake Starnberg from his Bavarian home.

Lehmann carried out 'vigilante justice'

There is "no doubt" that the accusations against the 2006 World Cup player are true, public prosecutor Stefan Kreutzer said.

Lehmann had "simply wanted to get one over on his neighbor" and carried out "vigilante justice," he said. 

On the first day of the trial, Lehmann admitted that he had entered the garage with a chainsaw in his hand, but argued it was coincidental that he was carrying it at the time. He said he couldn't remember much else about the incident.

He also claimed to be a victim of "character assassination" but the judge told him: "The only person who has behaved in a way that damages his own reputation is the defendant himself." 

Lehmann's lawyer Christoph Rücker accused the prosecutor of "moralizing" and said the charges were "peanuts."

Lehmann played 61 games in goal for the German national team during his career and had successful club stints at Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and at London club Arsenal in the English Premier League.

mds/msh (dpa, SID)