On Tuesday night, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend and threatening to kill her, and was handed a 60-day suspended sentence and 18 months’ probation.
The bench trial had several odd moments. Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, admitted using cocaine the night she was attacked, and when asked about the time she got into a car accident and marijuana was found at the scene, she said, “The weed flew out of my car.”
According to the Charlotte Observer, the incident stemmed from Hardy’s rage over Holder’s brief relationship with the rapper Nelly, who is also a part-owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. Holder testified that a Nelly song came on as she and Hardy were leaving a Charlotte club early on the morning of May 13, and he got violent when they went back to his apartment. The arrest warrant stated that the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Hardy threw Holder on a pile of guns and threatened to kill her.
“He looked me in my eyes and he told me he was going to kill me. I was so scared, I wanted to die,” she testified. “When he loosened his grip slightly, I said, ‘Just do it. Kill me.’ At that point, I accepted I was going to die.”
Hardy’s attorneys immediately announced they will appeal the verdict, and the trial will likely not take place until after the season. North Carolina state law entitles Hardy to a jury trial.
As for Hardy’s future with the Panthers — he signed a one-year, $13.1 million contract this spring — the team refused to comment Tuesday night, saying in a statement: “We have just learned of the verdict and are respectful of the process. We do not have a comment at this time.”