The Lamb of God singer has denied the charge of manslaughter
The Lamb of God singer has denied the charge of manslaughter

Randy Blythe, lead singer of heavy metal group Lamb of God, has been indicted on manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic following the death of a fan at a 2010 concert.

Blythe was arrested at Prague Airport on 27 June last year and spent more than five weeks in a Czech prison while prosecutors debated the value of his bail. He will now have to return to the country to face charges of manslaughter with intent to cause bodily harm.

The charges relate to the death of fan Daniel Nosek, who was reportedly pushed off stage by Blythe during the band's 24 May 2010 performance at Club Abaton in Prague, and later died of his injuries.

The singer faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

The band's manager, Larry Mazer, said in a statement: "While it is a tragedy that a Lamb of God fan died following a performance by the group, in no way do I feel that Randy did anything improper that led to the young man's injuries and subsequent death.

"We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet. We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage.

"At this point, all that the band, myself, and our lawyers can do is to present a defense and try to convince the panel of judges who will hear the case that Randy is innocent of all charges and that his name and reputation need to be cleared and that he be permitted to carry on with his life and career, always mindful that a fan passed away after a Lamb of God performance."

Blythe told Rolling Stone magazine he does not remember what happened on the night in question.

"There were a lot of people on stage," he said. "There's a lot of questions as to what happened with this young man - that's all still to come out in trial."

Blythe says he is "100% innocent" of the charge, which he also labelled as "ludicrous".