Randy Blythe released on bail, will return to Czech Republic if summoned
Lamb of God's Randy Blythe says he will return to Prague if summoned to stand trial for the death of a fan he allegedly pushed offstage at a May 2010 concert.
The heavy metal frontman is out on bail after spending more than a month incarcerated in Pankrac Prison in Prague, Czech Republic. The manslaughter charges stem from a 2010 performance in which a fan repeatedly came onstage and was pushed off. The fan later died of a brain hemorrhage.
In an official statement released Monday (8/6), just a couple days after his release, Blythe explained that he suffered no abuse during his incarceration. "I received no special treatment, and was in general population with everyone else -- make no mistake, it was prison, not some celebrity rehab tv show," the musician said. "But I was treated fairly by the guards and kindly by my fellow inmates."
Blythe, who continues to maintain his innocence, says he can relate to the pain of the fan's family.
"It is fairly common knowledge amongst fans of my band that I once lost a child as well. I, unfortunately, am intimately familiar with what their pain is like. Therefore, I know all too well that in their time of grief, this family needs and deserves some real answers, not a media explosion followed by the accused killer of their son hiding like a coward thousands of miles away while they suffer."
If summoned, Blythe says he will return to the Czech Republic to stand trial.
"I feel VERY STRONGLY that as an adult, it would be both irresponsible and immoral for me not to return to Prague if I am summoned. This is not about bail money. This is about a young man who lost his life. I will act with honor, and I will fight to clear my good name in this matter."
Late last month, Lamb of God pulled out of a scheduled co-headlining run with Dethklok, but stated intentions to reschedule once Blythe returned to the U.S. No word yet on when that outing will take place.
The band currently has two mid-August appearances slated at Knotfest, alongside Slipknot.
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