Japanese swimmer, Naoya Tomita, has been found guilty by a South Korean court in the case of the swimmer having stolen a camera at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Since October 2014, Tomita has been serving an 18-month ban after he was caught stealing a journalist’s camera valued at approximately $7500 at the meet. Shortly after the incident, Tomita admitted to stealing the camera, which resulted in his suspension by the Japanese Swimming Federation. The Japanese Olympic Committee called the incident a “very serious violation” of its code of conduct. However, the swimmer then later claimed that he had been falsely accused.
Now, having been found guilty by a district court in the city of Incheon, Tomita is ordered to pay a fine of 1 million won (about $890). Said the judge, Kim Young-ju, “ The defendant flatly denies the charges against him, not showing any remorse for his crime.” For his part, Tomita responded that, he is “angry and sad that the court did not accept my side of the story.”
Tomita earned a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and at the 2012 World Short Course Championships, but was unable to even attempt to qualify for this summer’s worlds due to the suspension. With the ban lifted in March 2016, Tomita will have little time to prepare for Japan’s Trials, which will most likely be held in April 2016.
Well that’s childish