Two 22-year-old men have been sentenced to over two years in prison after brutally attacking a homeless man in Uddevalla, Sweden. The assault, which was filmed and shared on social media, left the victim with severe injuries. The case was solved when police discovered the videos during an unrelated investigation. Despite the victim's reluctance to cooperate, the footage provided crucial evidence leading to the conviction.
Homeless Man Brutally Attacked: Shocking Footage Leads to Conviction
Homeless Man Brutally Attacked: Shocking Footage Leads to Conviction
A homeless man was left bloodied, with broken bones, and pushed into a waterway in the middle of winter. Meanwhile, two 22-year-olds filmed the assault and laughed.
Months later, the videos surfaced by chance, leading to the men's conviction.
Earlier this year, a passerby discovered a bloodied shirt in the snow in Uddevalla. Nearby, there were clear blood trails and scattered belongings linked to a homeless man in his 50s.
The man was taken to the hospital with a broken nose, five broken ribs, several internal injuries, and back damage. However, he refused to participate in a police investigation, claiming he had fallen.
Discovered on an Acquaintance's Phone
A few months later, police emptied a phone in an extortion case and found several videos sent via Snapchat to the phone's owner.
In one video, two men are seen kicking, stomping, and hitting the homeless man while mocking him.
"That was a bit weak," one man says after the other kicks the victim in the head.
"That was better," he comments on the next kick.
The men were identified as two 22-year-olds, one from Kungälv and one from Uddevalla.
In one video, the men ask if the homeless man should "take a dip in the river" and then push him into the icy water.
"Is the water warm or what?" one man asks while the other laughs.
After the brutal assault, one of the 22-year-olds asks if "anything happened."
The homeless man replies that he "fell as usual" and receives praise from the men.
Court: "Very Ugly"
Without the videos, the prosecutor believes the men would never have been punished.
"It was thanks to this video that we solved the crime at all. The man did not want or dare to participate in the police investigation. He didn't attend the trial either," says Robert Beckard, one of the two prosecutors in the case, to Bohuslänningen.
Ten days later, they assaulted the same man again, and this video also ended up with the police.
They also filmed each other's knuckles and joked about where they got their swellings.
"This is great," one man says, showing his hands.
When confronted with the videos, both 22-year-olds admitted to parts of the violence during police interrogations. One of the men broke down in tears, expressing regret.
"I'm trying to be a good person," he says in police questioning.
However, he claims the assault was because the victim threatened his family. The court did not accept this explanation.
Instead, the court believes the background was that the men wanted to exploit the homeless man for a money transfer.
The district court describes the crimes as "very ugly" and notes that the brutal assault included degrading elements.
Both men are now sentenced to two years and four months in prison each for aggravated assault, assault, and attempted extortion, related to the other investigation.