A court in Jens Lehmann’s hometown of Starnberg has ordered the former Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper to pay a €135,000 (£113,000) fine. This penalty stems from an incident in which he damaged his neighbor’s garage using a chainsaw.
The incident, which occurred in July 2022, involved Jens Lehmann sawing off a roof beam in the garage. The court initially imposed a hefty fine of €420,000 (£351,000) on him, but it significantly reduced the amount upon appeal. Following the court’s ruling, Jens Lehmann accepted responsibility for his actions and reached an agreement with his neighbor, as noted by his lawyer, Florian Ufer.
During the proceedings, Judge Tanja Walter stated that Jens Lehmann had “consistently portrayed himself as a victim of the justice system.” However, she emphasized that he was, in fact, “not a victim; he is a perpetrator.” Public prosecutor Stefan Kreutzer echoed this sentiment, arguing that Jens Lehmann’s conduct suggested he believed he was “above the law.”
In addition to the fine related to the chainsaw incident, Jens Lehmann had previously been accused of avoiding payment for parking fees at Munich Airport. Ufer confirmed that he has since settled these fees.
Earlier this year, Jens Lehmann made headlines by acquiring the branding rights to ‘the Invincibles’, successfully purchasing the trademark associated with Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League title-winning season in 2003-04, just ahead of its 20th anniversary.
Jens Lehmann’s legal troubles have not only marred his reputation but also highlighted the challenges of maintaining a public persona following a storied football career.
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