Copenhagen, Nov 4: Former Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner has been sentenced to 50 days in jail after being convicted of assaulting a taxi driver in his homeland, Denmark.

The 30-year-old along with his girlfriend got involved in a brawl back in September which saw him breaking the jaw of the taxi driver following a night out in Copenhagen.

The brawl took place after the pair refused to pay the taxi driver his £4.80 fare and consequently the forward punched the driver in his face.

But soon after the incident, the former Arsenal man was charged with beating and kicking the cab driver in the 2.41 am incident on September 9. After the video evidence by the cab driver, caught from inside his club, the court has ordered Bendtner to pay the driver over £1,330 in compensation as well as sentencing him to a 50-day jail sentence. His lawyer, however, has maintained that his client will appeal against the decision.

Bendtner, following the incident, however, admitted of wrongdoing but insisted that he hit the driver because he felt threatened. Apparently, the fiasco took place over after a row started over which way the driver was supposed to drive. As per the forward, during the heated argument, the driver threw a bottle or a can towards him to which Bendtner reacted.

The Danish forward later, in a press conference, apologised for the incident and insisted he was sorry to get involved in such an unfortunate incident.

“I was involved in an extremely unfortunate episode. I could not imagine it would develop as it did, and of course I’m extremely sad that the outcome became as unfortunate as it did,” he said.

“To Rosenborg fans and audiences, I regret that this has happened. I’m sorry with all my heart that we are standing here today.

“To my dear teammates, I regret that this will steal focus in an important time. I thank you for your understanding.

“I have never been a fighter but I protect those I love on and off the pitch.”

The Danish forward has a bad record of off-field behaviour which got him into trouble in the past as well. In 2013, while at Juventus, he was hit with a £97,200 fine and stripped of his driving license for three years after being caught drink driving.



Bendtner, played for Arsenal between 2005 and 2014, scoring 45 goals in 171 games. But having failed to cement a regular place at Emirates he was sent to loan spells in Sunderland, Birmingham City and Juventus while at Arsenal before making a permanent move to German club Wolfsburg.

But he again moved from Germany in 2016 to sign for Championship side Nottingham Forest in September 2016 before joining Rosenborg in March 2017.