Jakob Ingebrigtsen's father convicted of assault but avoids jail
After a seven-week trial, which included conflicting statements from multiple family members, a court in their hometown of Sandnes found that Gjert Ingebrigtsen did hit Ingrid with a wet towel but that there was reasonable doubt over accusations that he abused Jakob.
Gjert, who had coached Jakob, as well as his brothers Henrik and Filip to major international success over 1500 metres and 5,000m, has been fined 10,000 krone (£744) and received a suspended 15-day jail sentence for the assault on Ingrid. The court was shown a photograph of Ingrid with a red mark on her face.
Judges in the case did not find, as was alleged by Ingrid and the three brothers, that he had overseen a family environment that was characterised by fear and violence.
Gjert Ingebrgtsen had denied the charges and his lawyer, John Christian Elden, said that he was 'relieved' by the court's verdict. 'This case has no winners, and today's verdict shows that all those affected have been exposed to an enormous burden that should have been avoided,' said Elden.
Jakob's legal aid lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen said that the 24-year-old Olympic, world and European champion was now 'concerned with moving on' after starting 'a new life in January 2022, when he broke with his father and broke with the regime he has experienced'.
The verdict states: 'The court considers one side's version of family life and the relationship between the defendant and Jakob is not particularly more likely than the other.'
They also highlighted how another brother, Martin, had spoken in defence of his father.
'The significant difference is that he describes it as a safe and good home without violence or threats, despite the fact that the defendant could be quarrelsome, loud and argumentative,' said the court.
'The court cannot disregard his explanation. His explanation is difficult to reconcile with the prosecution's claim that Jakob was subjected to violence… or abuse throughout much of his childhood.'
Jakob had alleged that he was abused both physically and mentally from 2008 until 2018. The prosecutor had requested a prison sentence of more than two-and-a-half years. A total of Nkr400,000 (£29,800) in compensation was also suggested for the two siblings. Ingrid Ingebrigtsen, 19, has not lived at home since the towel incident in January 2022. The three brothers split from being coached by Gjert shortly after the incident before writing a newspaper article in 2023 which alleged that they had been subjected to physical violence.
Gjert, who has always denied criminal behaviour, has continued to coach Jakob's Norway team-mates Narve Gilje Nordas and Per Svela. Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics before following that up with 5,000m gold in Paris last year. He also won the 1500m and 3,000m double at both the European and World Indoor Championships earlier this year but the start of his outdoor track season has been delayed by an Achilles tendon injury.
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