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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.
Helle will not go into other details about the case.
– The main point is that the charge for driving under the influence has been eliminated.
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.
VG sportscaster Leif Welhaven believes Northug will receive a lot of support in the future. But it points out the seriousness of extremely rough driving.
– This also has a road safety dimension. This is a man with a history of drunk driving. If you have made the decision to drive 168 kilometers per hour in zone 110 when you were ready at the top and furthermore you recognize more than 200 km distance with zone 80, then there is something with an attitude towards road safety that in this context can not. put in positions with substance abuse problems. That’s a serious aspect of the case, Welhaven says.
The Norwegian Ski Association, with which Northug has a sponsorship agreement through the Northug brand, is now in the process of discussing with Northug whether further cooperation is possible.
– He is in constant dialogue with Northug AS and Petter about the way forward. Of course, it is good to hear the results of the blood tests, writes cross-country director Espen Bjervig at the Ski Association in a text message to VG.
Northug supplies sports goggles to support staff and has agreements with some athletes from the Norwegian Ski Federation, as well as the combined national team.
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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.
