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Police have dropped parts of the charges against Petter Northug (34) after receiving a response to the much-disputed blood test.
– No alcohol or other drugs were detected in the blood, writes police attorney Karoline Ekeberg in a press release Wednesday morning.
Police received the result of the blood sample analysis, which was taken by Northug on August 13, Tuesday afternoon.
– Therefore, the police withdraw the charge related to driving under the influence of drugs. The preliminary charge for possession of drugs and speeding is upheld, the police report further states.
Northug’s attorney, Halvard Helle, tells VG that the ski star has been informed about the result of the blood test.
– Petter is relieved by the clarification. Although in itself it is the same thing that he told the press in Trondheim. It is clear that this is important for the future criminal proceedings of the case, Helle tells VG.
The ski star admitted to driving and seizing drugs in his own home on his Instagram profile on Friday, August 14.
Then he had been stopped the day before by a police patrol in Romerike after an average measurement that marked 168 kilometers per hour.
The following Monday, it became clear that he was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, driving under the influence and possession of drugs. Northug admitted to driving under the influence and finding cocaine in his home on Instagram, but not driving under the influence.
Øystein Mili, VG crime expert, says the blood test result means a lot to Northug’s case.
– It means a lot in criminal law. So it’s not a drunken wild ride. It’s too fast a wild ride in zone 110, Mili says during the VGTV broadcast after the blood work was done.
– Avoid the stress and staff that would have been driving under the influence of drugs. In a way, the most important thing is reputation. It would have been much more catastrophic for Petter Northug if he had driven under the influence of drugs, Mili says, noting that Northug himself clearly stated that he had not taken drugs in connection with the trip to and from Trysil.
Mili now believes that it is a crime, even though Northug is still charged with driving under the influence and possession of drugs, in isolation it does not seem like a very serious case now.
– There will be a much lower sentence and it is not certain that there will be any incarceration, says Mili.
According to information from VG, Northug performed a saliva sample that gave a positive response on the spot. In theory, such a test can give false positive and negative responses, which do not match the response of the blood test.
Northug had been an instructor at a summer ski school in Trysil when he was arrested by the police.
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During the press conference in Trondheim last Friday, where the skier spoke about a drug problem, Northug knew that he had not used drugs or alcohol in connection with this trip. He explained that he had not felt intoxicated while driving, but told about the party with alcohol and cocaine before the trip.
When VG asked the question, “You mentioned that you were unaffected on the trip to and from Trysil, but did you or did you not use drugs or alcohol on this trip?” Northug replied:
– No, I didn’t do that.
