An ice hockey star accused of battering a man while he was on the ground has failed in a bid to have his court case postponed because he has refused to get vaccinated.
Former Dundee Stars player Lukas Lundvald Nielsen claimed his case should be put back until next year because it would be unfair to force him into quarantine.
Sheriff Craig Harris threw the player’s bid out and said he had made a choice not to get the Covid-19 vaccine and was having to face the consequences of his decision.
He refused Nielsen’s motion to adjourn the case and ordered him to come to Scotland from his home in Denmark for a trial later this month.
Sheriff insists trial is fixed
Solicitor Mike Short, defending, said: “It’s not the case that he doesn’t want to come.
“I’m trying to get a balance.
“My concern is whether it’s necessary to get him to come when the case could be put off.
“He has not been vaccinated. That’s his own personal choice.
“He would need to go into quarantine and he doesn’t have the money or time to do that.
“He has the cost of flights to get here.”
However, Sheriff Harris said: “There is a trial fixed.
“For whatever reason the accused is not vaccinated.
“The consequence in terms of the rules is that he would have to isolate.
“It is his position that he does not want to come to Scotland and isolate because ‘that is expensive for me.’
“It narrows down to the accused being unwilling to travel to Scotland and incur the cost.
“There is a way to avoid isolation and that is to get vaccinated.
“He has chosen not to do this.
“He has chosen not to get vaccinated but he’s also choosing not to isolate.
“He is saying the court should adjourn to next year because he doesn’t want to get the vaccine.
“I’m not prepared to do that.
“The accused will have to make arrangements to come.”
The charges
Nielsen is alleged to have attacked Gabriel Mos in the street while he was signed to Dundee Stars of the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Nielsen, 26, is also alleged to have assaulted a woman in the city on the same date by knocking her to the ground.
The former Stars forward was not present when the case against him called at Dundee Sheriff Court because he is in his native Denmark.
Nielson, c/o Hillcrest Road, Dundee, denies assaulting Mr Mos in South Tay Street on 18 February, 2019 by repeatedly punching him on the head causing him to fall to the ground.
He denies continuing to punch him whilst he was on the ground and causing him severe injury.
Nielsen, who played 83 times in two seasons for Dundee Stars, also denies attacking and injuring Erin McGee at the same time and place.
He denies pushing her on the body and causing her to fall to the ground to her injury.
