Kapanen blew 1.27 per mille readings at Siilinjärvi in August.
Keijo Salokangas,
Veera Järvenpää,
Petri Julkunen
NHL hockey player Kasperi Kapanen has to pay daily fines of 108,700 euros for aggravated drunk driving. The district court of Pohjois Savo gave a verdict in the case today and sentenced Kapanen to a one hundred day fine. The prosecutor demanded a suspended prison sentence for him.
Kapanen was caught driving drunk in Siilinjärvi on August 1, when he had left Kuopio airport. The police stopped Kapanen at two o’clock in the day, when the speed of the vehicle he was driving was measured at 67 km/h. There was a 50 km/h speed limit in the area. Kapanen blew 0.56 milligrams per liter into the precision breathalyzer, which corresponds to a reading of 1.27 per mille as a blood alcohol concentration. Kapanen had one passenger on board.
Drunk driving is gross if the blood alcohol concentration is at least 1.2 per thousand or the exhaled air contains at least 0.53 milligrams of alcohol per liter.
During the interrogation, Kapanen admitted that he drank one beer before getting on the plane at 12:30 at Helsinki airport. According to his story, he had been celebrating his birthday the night before and had consumed alcohol.
According to the defense, a conditional prison sentence would hinder Kapanen’s employment opportunities and might already affect the current contract. The defense proposed that Kapanen be fined and appealed to the great publicity the case would receive.
According to the prosecutor, a suspended sentence is a normal punishment for aggravated drunk driving, which Kapanen should have understood.
Kapanen, who represents the NHL club St Louis Blues, commented on the incident as early as September 2023 when it came to light. Kapanen stated that he had made a mistake and apologized for his action.
Kapanen was not present at the district court proceedings in person or remotely, because his presence was not required.
Yelle Kapanen’s lawyer Anu Kolari comment on the verdict immediately after the decision:
– I dare to say that my boss is satisfied with this sentence.
Updated February 8, 2024 at 4:09 p.m.: Added defense presentation.
Updated on February 8, 2024 at 4:34 p.m.: Added the information given in Kapanen’s preliminary investigation.
Updated on February 8, 2024 at 4:43 p.m.: Added district court verdict.
Updated on February 8, 2024 at 5:10 p.m.: Added comment from Kapanen’s lawyer.