Two men from the Flemish municipality of Waregem have been fined after they were prosecuted for dressing up as a clown carrying a fake AK-47 to scare people for a YouTube video.
The men, both 24, received a suspended prison sentence of 4 months and an effective fine of €800 for their actions from January 2020. The duo aimed to make videos for the YouTube channel dressed as a scary clown carrying a gun, also recording a video of them pretending to rob a bank.
"Frightening a few people is not so bad if you can please a multitude of people," the pair said in a statement following their arrest. The videos in question did not make it online, with police confiscating the memory card along with the fake gun and costume.
During their first appearance in court, the pair made several attempts to film the proceedings, despite the judge expressly prohibiting this. In the video - which was eventually posted on Youtube - the recorder can be heard swearing at the judge, and calling the court a 'kangaroo court'.
Following the incident, the trial was postponed to 29 June. Following the online publication of the images, the original judge stepped down from the case. Another judge took over and passed judgement.
The Brussels Times
